While most of us spend Saturday mornings sleeping in, beautifying our flower beds, washing our cars, enjoying our favorite type of recreation or a million other things for ourselves... a small group of volunteers spent a Saturday morning helping to heal the Shenandoah River. Healing of the Shenandoah River (and the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed) is up to us. Our states waterways will not magically heal themselves. The Town of Shenandoah understands this by making clean water improvements to town owned properties in multiple ways such a maintaining and improving our waste water treatment plant, keeping storm water paths clean of debris, maintaining the Big Gem Park rain garden and always improving the district and state award winning River Park for the water quality efforts that are continually being done on the property. Each year the town also participates in "Clean the Bay Day" where citizens are encouraged to help clean the riverbanks within town limits of the Town of Shenandoah.
Keith Sampson, Shenandoah Town Council (Parks and Recreation Chairman), has organized and lead this event for the past 5 years in our town. Below is the some quick facts that Keith shared with Shenandoah Newz about this years event:
"We had 6 volunteers and we picked up 586 lbs. of trash on June 3, 2012. We found lots of dead animals some just dumped out and some in bags. Most everything we found was trash. We did find a busted up windshield, computer, 6 tires and small ice chest. The dirtiest area was the River road area leading to the recycling center once again. I thought with only 6 volunteers we did a tremendous job to gather that much trash in just 3 hours. We did have fun just laughing and talking and that was nice."
The 24th Annual "Clean the Bay Day" event not only included the Town of Shenandoah but many other localities all over the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Collectively the event included 6,500 volunteers, 500 miles cleaned and 150,000 pounds of debris removed from the waterways! Next years 25th Annual event will be held on Saturday, June 1, 2013 but you don't need to wait until then to help our waterways...
You can continue to save the Bay throughout the year by becoming a better Bay steward at home.
- Speak Out! Let your voice be heard regarding important legislation affecting our Chesapeake Bay and rivers. Write or call your senators and congressional representative, urging them to vote in an environmentally responsible way.
- Natural Cleaners Only”use natural, non-toxic, phosphate-free cleaners like baking soda or borax with hot water for most household cleaning tasks. You'll be reducing toxic chemicals in wastewater while saving money.
- Reduce Fertilizer Use always get a soil test first to be sure what your lawn requires; use fertilizer sparingly, and only when necessary. Excessive fertilizers contribute to nitrogen and phosphorous overload in rivers and the Bay, which can lead to low oxygen levels and dead zones.
- Only Rain in Storm Drain allow only rain to go down the storm drain and use a broom not a hose or power blower, to clean debris from decks, patios and driveways. You'll save water, reduce emissions, and curb stormwater runoff.
- Bay-Friendly Car Care take your vehicle to a commercial car wash or wash your car on an unpaved surface with phosphate-free soap so water soaks into the ground, not into the storm drain.
- Reduce Rain Runoff direct rainwater away from paved surfaces; direct gutter downspouts onto lawn or flower beds, or into a rain barrel.
