Local News
Delaware River Clean Up Day Planned for July 22, 2009
By
Jul 1, 2009, 11:05 PST

“We need volunteers for this year’s Delaware River Clean Up Day on Wednesday, July 22nd ” , announced Superintendent John Donahue. “The clean up day is a great opportunity to have some fun on the river and to make the river a better place for all to enjoy. The water quality of the river is outstanding; it is critical that we work together to keep it that way.”

The focus of the 2009 Delaware River Clean Up Day is a 40-mile stretch of the river from River Beach , north of Milford , to Kittatinny Point. Participants will paddle canoes and pick up trash along a section of the river. There will be five sections; each one is 6 to 10 miles in length.

The Delaware River Clean Up Day begins at 8:00 a.m. and should end by approximately 4:30 p.m. Volunteers need to park and check-in either at Dingmans Ferry Access (PA Route 739) or Smithfield Beach (on River Road, PA ). Canoes, paddles and life jackets will be provided by the canoe outfitters. Refreshments will be provided at the morning check-in. Shuttle transportation and trash bags will be provided by the National Park Service. The park’s expanded amenity fees will be waived for the day.

The event will be held rain or shine.

Participants should wear comfortable clothes, water shoes or old sneakers, and gloves. They will also need to bring a lunch, drinking water, sunscreen, and insect repellent. Children between the ages of 12 and 18 may participate, but must be accompanied by an adult. All participants must be able to swim.

Interested individuals and groups should call the park’s volunteer hotline at 570-426-2478 for more information and to register to participate in the event. To register by email, send a message to Amber_Kushich@nps.gov ; be sure to put “Delaware River Clean Up Day” in the subject line. Everyone is encouraged to pre-register by Friday, July 17, 2009 .

Kittatinny Canoes organized the first river clean up event in 1990. Over the years, it has become an annual tradition for many people who appreciate and care for the Delaware River . Following the June 2006 flood, the National Park Service and all of the canoe liveries operating within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area joined together to sponsor an annual, one-day, volunteer clean up effort. Since 2006, volunteers have removed 89 tons of trash from the river.