Volunteers will help clean Cedar River in Mitchell, Floyd counties this summer

To the Press

CHARLES CITY — Volunteers will have an opportunity this summer to spend their vacations cleaning up, learning about and exploring 60 miles of the upper Cedar River from the Iowa-Minnesota border to Nashua.

Project AWARE, which stands for A Watershed Awareness River Expedition, is the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ annual volunteer river cleanup event. It will be July 10 to 14 this year.

The group will camp Monday night at Otranto Park near Otranto, Tuesday night at Interstate Park in Mitchell, and Wednesday and Thursday nights at Riverfront Park in Charles City.

In addition to removing trash from the river, participants learn about watersheds, water quality, recycling and other natural resource topics. This year’s expedition marks Project AWARE’s 15th year.

“This is a great opportunity for people to come together and help keep our rivers clean of debris, along with enjoying the various rivers in our great state,” said Linda Tjaden, Floyd County supervisor. “It also is a great opportunity to showcase the communities along the way and learn about our rich Iowa heritage.”

Volunteers participate by paddling down the river in canoes and cleaning up river trash along the way. Opportunities for land-based volunteers are also available.

While the expedition lasts five days, volunteers can stay and help for as little or as long as they like. Project AWARE is family-friendly and provides the opportunity to experience a different river each year.

“My first Project AWARE in 2006 hooked me,” said Linda Appelgate, a Des Moines resident and 11-year Project AWARE veteran. “Camping and paddling with a group of like-minded folks, hauling sometimes crazy amounts of trash into our canoes and handing it off to our DNR support team for recycling is huge fun and very satisfying.”

In addition to river cleanup, Project AWARE also offers a blend of educational programs and demonstrations, volunteer camaraderie, camping and other outdoor recreation opportunities that enrich the experience.

“Having Project AWARE on the Cedar River in Mitchell and Floyd counties provides the Upper Cedar River Watershed Management Authority an opportunity to showcase best management practices that landowners have implemented to address water quality and quantity issues in the watershed,” said Sherm Lundy, chairman of the Upper Cedar River WMA.

In the past 14 years, more than 4,000 AWARE volunteers from across the state have cleaned up 1,083 river miles, removing 377 tons of trash (76 percent of which has been recycled) from rivers all across Iowa.

For more information on this event and to download registration materials, visit www.iowadnr.gov/aware.