Fox River Cleanup Volunteers Needed

OSWEGO, IL — The Village of Oswego’s ECO Commission is partnering with the Prairie State Canoeists and Water Trail Keepers to clean up the bank of the Fox River on Saturday, Aug. 4, and is seeking volunteers.

Volunteers will help clean the banks of the Oswego and Montgomery riverfront, collecting trash from the river and shorelines, from Violet Patch Park to Hudson Crossing Park and including the confluence of Waubonsie Creek and the Fox River.

The ECO Commission will award a $25 prize for the most unusual item retrieved from the river, and volunteers will get lunch, provided by the ECO Commission.

Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. at Violet Patch Park then be assigned to teams to cover specific areas. Bring works gloves and wear mud boots, if possible. Lunch is served at noon at Hudson Crossing Park.

Volunteers must be 13 years old to participate in the land-based portion of the event. Ages 10 and up are welcome to participate in the land-based portion of the cleanup with an accompanying adult. Scouts and other community groups are encouraged to sign up.

Canoes and kayaks join in on the fun

In addition to the ECO Commission, the Prairie State Canoeists and the Water Trail Keepers will also contribute to the cleanup. Canoeists will lead the cleanup on the water using their own canoes, kayaks and tools, and there will be a car shift at 8:30 a.m. from Montgomery Park, located river right, downstream from the Montgomery Dam and upstream from the Mill Street bridge.

To volunteer

To volunteer on land, contact the Village of Oswego at 630-554-3242. To volunteer on water with your own kayak or canoe, visit prairiestatecanoeists.org.

In the event that the Fox River is flooded and fast, more than 1,000 cu. ft. per second as measured at the Montgomery Dam gauge, the cleanup will be postponed to another date.

If you go

• What: Fox River Cleanup
• When: Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018, 9 a.m. to Noon
• Where: Fox River, Montgomery to Oswego. On foot, meet at Violet Patch Park. On water, meet at Montgomery Park.

Sign up by calling 630-554-3242 (on foot) or prairiestatecanoeists.org (on water).

Submitted by the Village of Oswego

Photo via Oswego Patch file