Annual Cleanup Day on the Saco River

Volunteers will support year-round efforts of River Runners

Fryeburg, Maine—The first annual Saco River Cleanup Day will be held Sunday, September 10th. Volunteers will join six teams to collect trash along a 50-mile stretch of the river from Bartlett, New Hampshire to Brownfield, Maine. The clean-up day builds on weekly sweeps conducted through the Saco River Recreational Council. The teams will gather in Fryeburg at the end of the day for a cookout and educational programs.

Cleanup organizer Michelle Broyer, who grew up on Lovewell Pond and now lives there with her family, has been distressed by the garbage that collects on the banks of the Saco for years.

“We stopped canoeing on the river on summer weekends about five years ago because of the litter and the crowds” says Broyer. “This year I decided it was time to do something about it.”

To lead the cleanup, Broyer has enlisted the help of the Saco River Recreational Council (SRRC) which is made up of local landowners and representatives from the canoe liveries, Fiddlehead Campground, Appalachian Mountain Club, The Nature Conservancy, law enforcement, and the state Department of Parks and Recreation. The cleanup day will be an annual event to supplement the weekly cleanup led by the SRRC’s River Runners. Outfitters are donating the use of canoes and providing shuttle transportation.

“Any time there’s an effort to clean up the river, we’re happy to be involved,” says Chris Gantick, owner of Woodland Acres Camp and Canoe in Brownfield. “The canoe liveries support the efforts of the River Runners year-round, but getting the community involved lets people know these programs exist.”

The River Runners pick up trash along the river from Monday to Thursday, direct traffic at three public landings on weekends, and along with The Nature Conservancy’s Saco River Conservation Docents, educate visitors about respectful use of the river.

“Our concern for the river is about more than just making a living,” says Fred Westerberg of Saco River Canoe and Kayak, who helped found the River Runners 23 years ago. “It’s hard to police 45 miles of river, and there’s always a need for more cleanup and education”

“Michelle’s idea for a cleanup day fits right in with the Conservancy’s work on the Saco,” says Stefan Jackson, the Conservancy’s Saco River Project Director. “This section of river sees something in the neighborhood of 90,000 visitors a year. Poor camping practices by a sizable minority of those visitors and abuse and outright vandalism by a smaller subset strains and in some areas overwhelms the resilient river and floodplain forest. As members of the SRRC, we are working with conservation partners throughout the Saco Valley to preserve local wildlife and protect the river that supports the local economy.”

After the cleanup, volunteers will be treated to a cookout where prizes will be given to the teams that have amassed the most trash. A raffle will raise money to establish the Saco River Cleanup Fund. The Fund will support cleanup, rescue and patrols of the river between Conway, New Hampshire and Hiram, Maine. Local groups will use the cookout as an opportunity to educate the community about work to protect the Saco. The Saco River Recreational Council will provide information about the River Runners. The Saco River Corridor Commission will demonstrate water quality testing and talk about the characteristics of the Saco floodplain that support the river’s excellent water quality. The Appalachian Mountain Club will provide information about “leave no trace” camping, and representatives of The Nature Conservancy will talk to volunteers about invasive plants and animals on the river.

For more information about volunteering, please contact the canoe outfitter assigned to your area of interest:

Humphrey's Ledge to Davis Park in Conway, NH: Northern Extremes (603) 356-4718
Redstone to Town Beach in Fryeburg, ME: Saco Valley Canoe (603) 447-2444
Swan's Falls to Canal Bridge in Fryeburg, ME: Saco River Canoe and Kayak (207) 935-3488
Canal Bridge to Walker's Bridge in Fryeburg, ME: Canal Bridge Canoe (207) 935-2605
Walker's Bridge to Lovewell's Pond in Fryeburg, ME: Saco Bound (603) 447-2177
Lovewell's Pond to Brownfield Bridge in Brownfield, ME: Woodland Acres (207) 935-2529