WARREN DILLAWAY / Star Beacon
SARAH KNISELY of Geneva places garbage picked up along the banks of the Grand River in a collection area at Hidden Valley Park in Madison Township.
Published June 01, 2009 12:52 am - Bald eagles flew over head over the weekend as more than 60 people helped to keep the Grand River a pristine area for generations to come.
Grand cleaning Volunteers work to keep river pristine
By WARREN DILLAWAY - Staff Writer Star Beacon
MADISON TOWNSHIP — Bald eagles flew over head over the weekend as more than 60 people helped to keep the Grand River a pristine area for generations to come.
The Grand River Partners Inc. organized the cleanup, which included people embarking from the Harpersfield Covered Bridge area and Hidden Valley Park.
Paul Belanger, a Madison resident and president of the GRP board of directors, and his wife Susan have been helping with the cleanup program for more than a decade.
Belanger said the organization was created as a watershed conservancy and has kept 4,000 acres from development, mostly with conservation easements. The efforts to keep the river clean are an obvious byproduct of the organization’s purpose, he said.
“The purpose of the cleanup is to keep the river clean but it also gets people to appreciate the wonderful natural resource,” Belanger said.
People backed debris in the canoes and placed it in containment areas at Hidden Valley Park and Mason’s Landing in Perry Township.
Mike Clark of Geneva and Kevin Morgan of Montville carried a rusty piece of a car or motorcycle to the bin while Sarah Knisely of Geneva followed with garbage bags filled with debris.
Clark said the program is definitely needed.
The Belangers said the river is clean but the need to vigilantly watch the area is critical.
The materials found run the gamut, Belanger said.
“One year we came back with a recliner,” he said.
“It is in very good shape. It’s considered the cleanest river emptying into Lake Erie (at least from the American side),” Belanger said.
Belanger said canoes were provided by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and by an area business.
The Grand River Partnership works to preserve the water quality and open space of the Grand river in Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake Portage and Trumbull counties.
The partnership includes more than 30 organizations including the Ashtabula County Health District, Ashtabula County Metroparks and the Ashtabula County Planning Commission.
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