By Barth Johnson, Butler Lions
BUTLER — The fourth annual Licking River Cleanup netted more than 100 tires and a dump truck load of junk, most of which was recycled.
The river cleanup took place June 20 from Falmouth to Kincaid Creek.
It was sponsored by the Butler Lions.
Funds were donated by the Pendleton County Soil Conservation District.
The tools used were from a Kentucky Water Watch Grant through American Water.
The group paddled canoes to dig debris out of the river.
Retired Fish and Wildlife officer Mick Craig let the group use his land along the river to offload the tires onto a trailer and the junk into the truck.
Participants included Billy Steele, Pendleton County Solid Waste coordinator; Boo Singleton and Barth Johnson, Butler Lions Club; Mike Moore, emergency management, and his son-in-law, airplane mechanic Walter Castro.
Additional participants included Bonnie Bloomfield, 911 dispatcher, and her brother Bobby Thomas, a mental health worker; Aundria Egbring, 911 dispatcher; and Jerry Miller, retired railroader and comedian.
Also helping were Brian Storz, Licking River Basin coordinator; Nathan Alexander, Big Sandy River Basin coordinator; Alice Mandt, Upper Cumberland River Basin coordinator; Colin Duncan, Green River Basin coordinator; and Kaiya Schaffner, Morgan Wood and Julie Collinsworth, summer interns from the University of Kentucky.
Also helping were JoEllen Mitchell, Butler Lions, food deliveries and photography, and Herman Schack and Joel Nahari, Butler Lions, offloading help.
Thanks to all involved. These types of river cleanups cannot happen without a good support group.
These cleanups improve our water quality and overall appearance of our river.