River clean-up successful

About 100 pounds of debris was removed from the Prairie River Saturday, thanks to the efforts of 10 volunteers.

The St. Joseph County Conservation District on Saturday started the third year of its five-year campaign to clean all 150 miles of the county’s rivers. A 4.7-mile stretch of the Prairie River – from Hoshel Road to Lutz Road in Lockport Township – was designated as the first of seven cleanup events this summer.

Volunteers were on the water for about three hours and accumulated a variety of items, ranging from a rusted-out wash tub to a Rubbermaid trash bin.

Jen Miller, administrator of the Centreville-based agency, said five of the 10 participants were first-time volunteers for the project. She said the event was a good start to the 2013 campaign and hopes for continued support throughout the summer.

The next event is June 15, when a 4 1/2-mile stretch of the Fawn River in Fawn River Township will be targeted for cleanup.