Ochoco Creek cleanup planned, before waters rise
A bicycle, shopping cart and traffic cones are all things that belong on the street. But on Friday, Carol Benkosky pointed them all out in the waters of Ochoco Creek.
Now, Crook County organizations are trying a new tactic to tackle the garbage issue in the creek.
Benkosky is a volunteer for the Crook County Parks and Recreation District and the Rotary Club of Crook County, two of the organizations planning a winter cleanup later this month.
A yearly cleanup takes place around Earth Day in April. But that’s after irrigation season begins and water levels rise.
Benkosky said this is the first time a cleanup has been scheduled to take place before higher water hits.
Because the water level is at a low point right now, trash that would usually be hidden is up for grabs.
“That amount of water can make it dangerous for people to be in the creek, or it will just push a lot of that material downstream or up into the branches,” Benkosky said.
Other entities involved include Prineville Disposal, Crook County and Ochoco Brewing Company. Since they’ve never done this before, organizers don’t know how much trash to expect or how many volunteers they’ll see. They estimate the cleanup will take a few hours.
“I think a lot of people just don’t realize how dangerous this trash is to our wildlife and to our fish populations, in addition to the fact that it just really looks bad,” Benkosky said.
Volunteers will work in teams of four, with two people staged on the bank for support and safety of those in the stream. Volunteers working in the stream must be at least 18 years old.
Trash bags, pickers and gloves will be provided. Volunteers are asked to bring rubber boots or other shoes suitable for muddy conditions, waders, warm clothes, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses and walking sticks.
The cleanup is planned for Saturday, Feb. 24 at 1 p.m. Registration will be held at Pioneer Park. An alternate date of March 24 is also scheduled if weather interferes.
To sign up, email info@crookcountyrotary.org.
