2011 Watauga River Clean Up Results

Dumpsters are full, sneakers are wet, smiles are wide and the Watauga River is a whole lot cleaner!   Thanks to the 114 volunteers who cleaned up 3,740 pounds of trash on Saturday, September 10, 2011!  2010 results were 126 volunteers with 1,940 pounds.  See below the pics for more info.

This year’s river clean up could not of happened without the River Captains.  These are the people who shuttle, transport trash to the dumpsters, and provide leadership for the volunteers who show up to their site.  This year’s River Captains who led volunteer efforts in the Watauga Watershed include:  Barbara Michel of ASU Walker School of Business, Donna Lisenby and Erin Savage of Appalachian Voices Riverkeeper, Dick Hearn, Joan Hearn, and Teresa Buckwalter from the Watauga River Partners, and Travis Small, Andi Cochran of Appalachian Geographical Society, Jaimie McGirt, and Andy Hill.   Foscoe Fishing Company, Appalachian Angler, Watauga River Angler, and River and Earth Adventures are always ready to help out in any way that they can and I surely appreciate their help this year. Thank you all so much!!!

GDS disposal service was a tremendous help, providing open-top dumpsters across the watershed for volunteers to utilize!  Thank you so much GDS for helping to keep our rivers clean!!!  Watauga County Sanitation, Watauga County Maintenance also provided resources to ensure a safe and effective clean up.  Dee Dundon also helped tremendously with glove organization.

Some of the peculiar items volunteers found include a laundry basket, jock strap, boot, iron sink, microwave, engine block, plastic sled, buried gas tank, desk, bed springs and chairs.  The most common item found was beverage bottles and cans, approximately 300 lbs got recycled, but a lot didn’t.  So much stuff in the river I would never go barefoot!!

From Foscoe to Guy Ford Rd, volunteers got stinky, wet and dirty cleaning up the Watauga River - Walter Wall, Molly Miller, Elizabeth Blakely, Don Barten, Zackary Cockerham, Tammy Crumpler, George Rice Crumpler, Justin Allen, Terry Mitchell, Jennifer Brown, Sharon Cumbie Katie Brown, Hannah Stafford, Erin Jones, Phoebe Pollitt, Kai Benza, Katie D’Jernes, Cynthia Davis, Doug Washer, Day Wall, Ben Merritt, Parker Cannon, Cole Finley, Bricatta Travatelo, Allison Rodrigue, Stephanie Buescher, Andrew Hill, Ryan Scott, Chappy Cottwell, Andrew Brown, Melissa Alla, Ryan Walker, Hannah Sheets, M. Randall McNeil, Nancy Fisher, Mollie Jones, Madison Heaton, Joey Bennett, Lydia McDuffie, Daybelis Boyd, Kaitlyn White, Claire Phipps, Erika Barnett,  Sandy Ziegler, Kathy Brown, Ryan Sigsbey, Erin Savage, Emily Morris, Laura Gagliardo, Stephen Davanzo, Mike Mayfield,  Kayley Dana, Ian Myers, Kasey Wagnespack, Katie, Nilges, Megan Tweed, Sarah Tubaugh, Fleming Talton, Johnny ONeal, Jake Duckwall, Alan Marshall, Carson Garrett, Robin Hale, Philip Green, Matthew Helton, Haley Griffith, Sarah Rapp, Amy Rolf, Chelsea Konopka, Terra Davis, Becky Vang, Nick Tompkins, Jacob Michel, Steven Michel, Sean Cain, Katherine Tully, Jennifer Francavilla, Jason Kirschner, Tim Hetherington, Kyle cicenia, H. Patrick DeHart, Adam Letherby, Daryl J Barker Jr, Keith Delgado, Greg Astolfi, Kathryn Wheeler, Marlou Wheeler, Rose Wheeler, Karl Wheeler, Rosi Goetz, Wendy Lewis, Carol Babyak, Jordan Seagraves, Madi Barker, Karson Collins, Joseph Laclzey
Danielle Mulinhill, Kenare Wilsonand the Watauga High School Environmental Club and Lees McRae Community Club.

 Thank you to all the folks who contributed to this year’s Watauga Watershed Clean Up!  I am so grateful to be a part of this caring community!   We will have another clean up in June.  If you are interested in participating please contact Wendy_Patoprsty@ncsu.edu