By Jody Gray
The Ohio River Sweep is the annual volunteer cleanup that extends the entire 981 miles of the Ohio River and its many tributaries. It is one of the nations’ largest and longest running environmental programs. Since 1989, volunteers from the six states which border the Ohio River have removed litter at multiple locations along the Ohio River and many of its tributaries. The Sweep is sponsored by Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) with support from regional and local sponsors who pay for clean- up supplies, including gloves, trash bags and T-shirts for participants.
Although it used to be just a one-day event, Ohio River Sweep has now changed to a full season, with communities choosing their own cleanup days, or area businesses and individuals supporting the clean- up all season. The goal is to support clean up events from March through October to remove the greatest amount of litter possible, thus having a larger collective impact than a one-day event could previously offer.
The volunteers for the Ohio River Sweep have made tremendous progress cleaning the Ohio River. Yet, litter continues to be a problem along the river and all of its tributaries. Volunteers make a positive impact in the entire Ohio River Basin by participating in the Ohio River Sweep each year, and 2023 will be no exception.
This year there are number of opportunities to participate in Ohio River Sweep in Adams and Brown Counties on scheduled days or throughout the season. The clean -ups are being sponsored and coordinated by Adams – Brown Recycling with volunteer coordinators at each site. The following are local clean- up locations, listed by date:
– Saturday, June 17 from 9 a.m. – noon at Adams County Sites, including:
– Manchester Boat Ramp and surrounding areas/ tributaries. Site Volunteer: Christine Henderson (Henderson Steve and Christine), (606) -584-1525
-Manchester Area from Kayaks and Canoes. Site Volunteer: Nikki Gerber with MoonDoggie Liveree, (513) 208-4935
– Wrightsville Boat Ramp and surrounding areas/ tributaries. Site Volunteer: Anita Harover, (937) 217-3000
– Rome Boat Ramp and surrounding areas/ tributaries: Site Volunteer: Jody Gray, (513) 460-9717
– Sandy Springs Campground and Cabins and surrounding areas. Site Volunteers: Campground Staff and Julie Wangler, owner. (701) 640-7858
Contact Sweep organizer Dee Edge at dedge@abcap.net or call (937) 378-3431 for more details or call or message Site Volunteers listed above and below via Facebook Messenger to find out more about your preferred clean up site. Scout, School, Church and Community groups are all welcome. If you are bringing a group, Please notify Dee or Site Volunteer to assure there are enough t-shirts and gloves on- site.
All trash collected at the Boat Ramp and Campground sites on June 10 and June 17 will be disposed of by ABCAP/ Adams Brown Recycling. Contact Dee Edge for more info.
All participants must sign a hold harmless waiver before participating in the Sweep.
– Saturday, June 24, 2023, during Adams County Ohio Brush Creek Paddlefest, sponsored bythe Adams County Health and Wellness Coalition and MoonDoggie LIVERee. Come to get exercise, float a bit, help to clean a large Ohio tributary and prevent further litter in the Ohio River. See the Coalition Facebook site: Adams-County-Health-Wellness-Coalition for all the details about the day’s events and to sign up to participate. Or contact Nikki Gerber at MoonDoggie Liveree, (513) 208-4935, for more specifics. (You must register in advance for this event only)