Sixth Annual Spokane River Clean-up Set for October 4th
The Sixth Annual Spokane River Clean-up will take place Saturday, Oct. 4, in the Spokane River Gorge, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at High Bridge Park. Friends of the Falls coordinates the clean-up with assistance from dozens of partner organizations.
Online registration is open now at www.friendsofthefalls.org. Advance registration helps the organizers plan for sufficient supplies; walk-in registrants are welcome the day of the event. You can also open the river clean up flyer for details.
Organizers urge participants to avoid driving, as parking at High Bridge Park is extremely limited. Free bus passes are given to volunteers who bus from SFCC to High Bridge and back, with STA busses running every 15 minutes starting at 8:30 a.m. A free staffed bike corral is available at High Bridge.
The Spokane River Clean-up has become a tradition that grows each year. The first Saturday in October, hundreds of people turn out to pick up tons of trash in the Great Spokane River Gorge, from the lower falls of the Spokane River downstream to the TJ Meenach Bridge. Paddlers pull trash out of the river, and everyone from kids to seniors combs the banks and woods for litter, organized in teams with names from Moose and Marmot to Bobcat and Black Bear.
The Spokane River Clean-up is a positive, high-energy gathering that affirms a sense of stewardship and community pride for the Spokane River and the natural areas along its banks. Results last year: 700+ people, 4.5 tons of trash, 2,500 pounds of it recycled. Organizers project turnout of over 800 this year.
The Spokane River Clean-Up is made possible by event sponsors Wheelabrator Spokane, Waste Management, Avista Utilities, and Washington Trust Bank, and the contributions of many community partners, including: the City of Spokane, Center for Justice Spokane River Project, Conservation Northwest, David’s Pizza, Downtown Spokane Partnership, Earthworks Recycling, ASEWU Epic Adventures, Faith & Environment Network, FLOW Adventures, Gonzaga University, WSGA Inland Empire Geocachers, Inland Empire Mountain Bike Patrol, Inland Northwest Trails Coalition, Mountain Gear, Northwest Whitewater Association, Out There Monthly, REI, Rings & Things, Sierra Club Inner City Outings, Spokane Bicycle Club, Spokane Canoe & Kayak Club, Spokane Falls Community College, Spokane Fly Fishers, Spokane Mountaineers, Spokane Transit Authority, The Lands Council, Thinking Cap Communications & Design, Thomas Hammer Coffee, Veterans Conservation Corps, WSU Spokane.