Source Weekly: Deschutes River Cleanup opens on May 1st

The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council is excited to announce that the 29th annual Deschutes River Cleanup will take place on Saturday, June 28th. Community members are invited to join in helping to protect the river they love.

River stewardship activities will be coordinated at six different sites on the Deschutes River. Volunteers are encouraged to pull invasive weeds and remove litter from streambanks, while paddlers and scuba divers will extract debris from the river channel.

The six stewardship locations include: La Pine State Park, Sunriver, Farewell Bend Park, Riverbend Park, First Street Trail, and Tumalo State Park. It promises to be a day filled with stream stewardship, smiles, and sweat! Volunteers of all ages are welcome. Online registration will open on the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council website on May 1st.

The Deschutes River Cleanup is the Council’s largest annual community event. As recreation in and around the Deschutes River has increased dramatically in recent years, this event offers an important opportunity for community members to help care for the river and its sensitive riparian areas.

This event is made possible thanks to the generous support of sponsors including the City of Bend, Bend Park and Recreation District, the Old Mill District, Visit Bend, Qorvo, Mt. Bachelor/Sun Country Tours, and Tumalo Creek. Local partners for this year's cleanup include Oregon State Parks, Sunriver Chamber of Commerce, Sunriver Owner's Association, Sunriver Resort, Leadership Bend, Greater Bend Rotary, Central Oregon Diving, Deschutes County Search and Rescue, LUNO, REI, and Confluence Fly Shop.

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