Sunday July 28, 2013
Chico Enterprise Record
July 28, 2013
by Dan Reidel
OROVILLE — Nearly 100 people picked up trash Saturday along the Feather River from Riverbend Park to the nature center in Oroville.
The Feather River Cleanup had four sign-up locations at parks along the water where volunteers picked up buckets and trash pick-up tools between 7:30 and 11:30 a.m. The Feather River Recreation and Parks District, along with the Butte Environmental Council, the Feather River Nature Center and the Department of Water Resources, provided snacks and water for those who gave their time.
“The goal is to clean and beautify the river,” said Ann Willmann, general manager for Feather River Recreation and Parks District.
Willmann said between 75 and 100 people showed up at Riverbend Park, Bedrock Park, Centennial Plaza and the nature center to help pick up trash in and along the water.
Michael Hellmair, Matt Peterson and Dana Lee from Chico brought an inflatable boat they rowed up and down the riverbank, netting any debris they found. With the boat, they were able to reach places those on shore couldn’t get to, Hellmair said.
The three men work at FishBio, a fisheries research and monitoring company.
“A clean river makes a nicer place for us to work,” Hellmair said.
Boats from DWR had already cleaned much of the river, but Hellmair, Peterson and Lee spent the early morning cleaning out the pond at Riverbend Park.
“There was quite a bit of trash in the pond,” Hellmair said.