BOISE, Idaho — One conservation group has cleaned up thousands of pounds of trash from the Boise River, but they say there's still more work to be done.
Idaho has many waterways and a staple in the Treasure Valley is the Boise River. As beautiful as it is, every year it faces the same issue of thousands of pounds of garbage polluting the area.
WATCH | One local group is taking care of Idaho's waterways—
Idaho Rivers United (IRU) is a group that works to keep Boise's major channel clean and safe. Last year, they were able to extract 3,800 pounds of trash from a 10-mile stretch. Just this last April, they were able to pick up 1,400 pounds with the help of 233 volunteers.
“Cans, wrappers, we find bike parts, old mattresses, traffic cones. There is no limit to the number of items that you can find,” said Dave Womack, Communications Director for IRU.
This conservation organization helps advocate for safe and clean waterways all across the state and has hundreds of volunteers focused on the Boise River. Madeleine Shapiro began cleaning the river four years ago and believes taking care of the river is vital to the Treasure Valley.
“It's probably one of my top priorities. I recreate almost every single day, either fishing or sitting by the river, floating when it's float time, so I feel like it's my responsibility to keep it clean and keep it nice,” Shapiro shared.
Shapiro explains that if someone doesn't pick up, the trash can travel elsewhere.
“You know, as that water flows through Boise, it's headed somewhere else. That means that our waste is headed downstream, and that's our responsibility to make sure that the waste that we are adding to the environment we're also disposing of properly.”
The group's next cleanup is set for June 1. For more information on how you can sign up, visit their website here.
