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River cleanup set for Saturday By MARK FREEMAN Jenifer Wilde is constantly amazed at what dim-witted people think is appropriate for throwing into the waters of the Rogue River. A refrigerator. A recliner chair. Enough old tires to fill a semi-truck trailer. "Somebody last year even pulled a safe out of the river near Gold Hill," Wilde says. "Three people tried to claim it." Volunteers plucked every one of these items, and more, from the Rogue River during a one-day cleanup effort last May that netted 5 tons of trash. Wilde expects her army of 300 volunteers will again find that much trash in the waters of the Rogue and Bear Creek during Saturday's effort to rid these waterways of trash. The fifth annual "Down by the Riverside" river cleanup and appreciation day is Saturday, and Wilde is heading the local branch of the statewide river cleanup. Locally, the cleanup effort is focusing on the river banks of the Rogue from Cole Rivers Hatchery downstream to the boundary of the river's Wild and Scenic Section near Galice. Also, cleanup crews will collect debris from the banks of Bear Creek around two local creekside parks. Volunteers with driftboats will float sections of the river and load them with garbage. Other volunteers can join the flotilla or tackle specific sections of riverbank accessible by foot. The cleanup is sponsored by the group Stop Oregon Litter and Vandalism and several other local sponsors. SOLV is best known for its annual beach cleanup, but Wilde says Saturday's effort is a chance to focus on local trash. "Everybody's hip to the beach cleanup," Wilde says. "But this is our backyard. You don't have to drive to the coast to make a difference." Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. at designated locations to get rubber gloves, trash bags and soda pop donated for the event, Wilde says. Last year, more than 2,100 people across Oregon participated in the May cleanup, in which 135,000 pounds of debris was collected and several river-restoration projects were completed, according to SOLV. Similar cleanups are held on the Rogue throughout the summer. Volunteers will be invited to a party Saturday night at the Osprey Brew Pub, 404 E. Main St. Prizes will be given for the most garbage collected, the largest ball of mono-filament fishing line and the most unusual garbage collected by volunteers, Wilde says. Here is a run-down on the cleanup areas and the locations where volunteers will meet Saturday. CASEY STATE PARK -- milepost 32, Highway 62, near Trail. Volunteers will handle the Rogue from Cole Rivers Hatchery downstream to Shady Cove. SHADY COVE PARK -- off Highway 62, Shady Cove. Volunteers will handle the Rogue from Shady Cove downstream to TouVelle State Park. TOUVELLE STATE PARK -- off Table Rock Road, near White City. Volunteers will meet in the park's upper picnic area, and focus on debris in and around the TouVelle area, as well as downstream to Gold Ray Dam. SHMARKY'S PIZZA -- 335 Second Ave., Gold Hill. Volunteers will concentrate on the Gold Hill area downstream to Valley of the Rogue State Park. HOG CREEK BOAT LANDING -- near Merlin. Volunteers will collect debris from the Hog Creek boat ramp downstream to the Grave Creek ramp near Galice. HAWTHORNE PARK -- off East Main Street, Medford. Volunteers will meet near the pool and will clean up Bear Creek around Hawthorne Park in Medford as well as Lynn Newbury Park in Talent. For more information on the local cleanup efforts, telephone 857-0340. For information about other cleanup sites outside of the Rogue Valley, check SOLV's web site at: www.solv.org Staff writer Mark Freeman covers the outdoors for the Mail Tribune. Call him at 776-4470, or e-mail him at [email protected] ) Outdoor Journal Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Mail Tribune � 2000 -- Medford, Oregon USA