
				Pat Quinn, Governor

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Environmental Progress - Fall 1998

Ohio River Sweep Two-Parter This Year

High water levels force re-scheduling at some pickup sites

Bob Mayberry and Dog (10K)
Bob Mayberry, coordinator at Cairo, brought his dog to the Sweep.

In an unusual two-stage cleanup, some 500 volunteers collected more than 750 bags of trash at nine designated Illinois sites during the ninth annual Ohio River Sweep this year. The litter pickup usually is held on the third Saturday in June along the entire Ohio River from Pittsburg, Penn., to Cairo, Ill., but unusually high water levels this summer caused postponement to July 11 for cleaning up sites at Old Shawneetown, Golconda, Brookport, Fort Massac State Park and Joppa. The cleanups at Cave-in-Rock, Rosiclare, Mound City and Cairo were able to stay with the original June 20 Sweep date.

Illinois has 133 miles of Ohio River shoreline touching six counties.

Discarded or lost debris picked up along the Ohio's Illinois shoreline ranged from tow ropes and tires to bottles and batteries, as well as plastic, glass, and appliances. The "catch of the day" for 1998 was a cellular flip phone, still in working condition.

Volunteers of all ages turn out for the annual cleanup each year, receiving trash bags and gloves for convenience, and free tee shirts as a "thank you." Area merchants provide soft drinks and refreshments -- pizza is a staple at some of the sites each year.

Over the years, coordinators say, they are seeing less litter to be removed, which reflects an increasing public awareness of the importance of our rivers, not only for recreation and scenic enjoyment but as habitat for fish and other aquatic life and as a source of clean drinking water.