Volunteers participate in river clean-up

Tires, fishing gear, and a fair amount of bottles and cans were retrieved last weekend from Swan Creek and a small stretch of the St. Joseph River.

The 2.5-mile route Saturday in Colon was the first of the St. Joseph County Conservation District’s four river cleanup events this summer. It marks the agency’s 14th year overseeing river cleanups

Eric Pretzlav, who is coordinating the four 2024 events for the Centreville-based Conservation District, said eight people volunteered their time to help Saturday.

Debris collected includes a metal basket, an aluminum A-frame ladder, Styrofoam, a buoy, an inflatable raft and four tires.

The route started off Catherine Street and followed Swan Creek. It continued where Swan Creek meets St. Joseph River and ended in an area off Sturgeon Lake.

Up next is a weekday collection on the Prairie River. Pretzlav said the July 19 cleanup route will be in Lockport Township with the likely starting point at Hoshel Road to an area near Sauganash Country Club.

The July 19 event – and all others – starts at 9:30 a.m.