May 15 OR 16 From Lake Otis to New Seward Highway

This is an annual event held every May! Hundreds of volunteers throughout Anchorage put on boots and gloves or go out in canoes and kayaks to clean tons of trash from local streams and waterways. This effort improves habitat for fish and other critters and helps humans thrive too!  Anchorage Waterways Council organizes this event each year through generous financial and in-kind donations from businesses and individuals, including generous support from Matson’s "Caring for Alaska" program and ConocoPhillips Alaska. The effort was first organized in 1984 when Mayor Tony Knowles called for a group of citizens to come together and improve the health of creeks. The event spawned the Anchorage Waterways Council which still tirelessly protects, restores, and enhances the creeks of Anchorage.

The Alaska Chapter of RMS will take-on a segment of Campbell Creek for this year's cleanup on the same section as last year's cleanup, from the Lake Otis put-in to the New Seward highway. Last year we ran the section in packrafts and a small cataraft and pulled nine 33 gallon bags of trash from the river (along with a pile of discarded political signs). River is usually running 50 to 70 cfs, so boating is marginal and you do more walking than paddling, but the boats are good floating dumpsters. You need to wear warm clothes and chest waders. 

Our organizer, Doug Whittaker will make a call on the exact day based on the forecasted weather. The council will provide us with picker devices, gloves, and bags, which we will organize and pick-up/drop-off. The more hands the better; it took us about four hours to do our section last year. We can end the trip with a burger and brew at the Peanut Farm or Arctic Roadrunner.

Contact: Doug Whittaker, dougwhitalaska_at_gmail.com. Hope to see you there!