James Andersen
For The State News
The Red Cedar River might be a little bit cleaner after Saturday.
In an effort to promote cleanliness and environmental awareness of the river, several environmental groups took part in the annual Red Cedar River Cleanup.
Eighty-three student volunteers participated, some donning waders and wielding rakes to pick up trash in the Red Cedar. Others paddled in canoes and walked along the banks picking up garbage. The river was divided into four sections, each with a leader who wrote down things volunteers found while cleaning.
During the four-hour cleanup, volunteers pulled all kinds of objects from the river and its banks, including two traffic signs, two box fans, a dead pigeon and 18 bikes. A few items, including a bike rack and a mo-ped, were found but not recovered.
The 40-mile-long river, which flows through MSU's campus, is thought by many to be polluted because of the items often found in it.
However, sponsors of the cleanup say the river is actually fairly clean and attribute the rumor to how the river looks and what people see in it.
"It's a typical urban river," said Ruth Kline-Robach, a member of the Institute of Water Research. "When it rains, all the runoff water from things like the rooftops goes into the storm drains and into the river."
The water's lack of transparency and appearance of thickness probably contribute to the idea that it is unclean, said fisheries and wildlife senior Catherine Pociask.
"People dump things into the drainage pipes and it flows into the river, so people look at it and think it's dirty," Pociask said.
Volunteers at the cleanup argued that the river is far from being dirty.
"There's a common misconception that it's polluted, but there's quite a thriving ecosystem with fish species and mussel groups," Kline-Robach said, adding that studies have shown there are at least 33 different fish species in the river, including salmon, trout and bass.
In fact, the river boasts quite an impressive salmon population this time of year, Rachel Murray said in an e-mail. The psychology and environmental science and policy senior said that in mid-October, the salmon return to the river to spawn and can sometimes be seen trying to jump over the dam near Wells Hall.
Anywhere from 50 to 100 volunteers participate in the event, which is held once every fall and spring, said officials of the Fisheries & Wildlife Club. The cleanup has been going on for about eight years and is sponsored primarily by the club.
"We want to make the campus look presentable and show people this is a good environment," said Chris Homeister, vice president of the club. "There's a lot of life here, lots of crayfish and turtles and ducks."
In addition to encouraging students to participate in the cleanup, club President Kevin Geyer urges students to do what they can to keep the river clean on a regular basis.
"Students feel disconnected from the river and have no feeling for it, so maybe now they'll think twice next time they want to throw a can into the river," he said.
