2009 Spokane River Clean-Up : General Information

The Most Fun You’ll Ever Have Picking Up Garbage!

Join us for the 7th Annual Spokane River Clean-Up - set for Saturday, September 26, from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm.

Last year over 800 people volunteered, collecting over eight tons of debris and recycling over two tons of it.

In addition to our longstanding tradition of work in the Spokane River Gorge, this year, we’ve added a second location in the University District.

In years past, the River Clean-Up has taken place in October, but this year, we moved it to September to take place on National Public Lands Day, during Sustainable September Spokane.

Boater? We could use your help for in-river clean-up assistance.

Cyclist? You can be on the team that rides to the most distant point on our map (mountain bikes recommended).

Registration & Check-In

Online registration is now closed. But we welcome volunteers who show up and register the day of the event. Come to the High Bridge Park picnic shelter at 9:00 am to sign in, and if you'd like to speed things up, fill out a liability waiver in advance and bring it along.

Important:

Try not to drive to High Bridge, as parking is very limited. Many park at SFCC and receive a free pass for the Spokane Transit shuttles that run to High Bridge Park every 15 minutes from 8:30 am on. Many others bike to the park and use the free bike corral
Bring a water bottle. We'll have a City of Spokane water truck there to fill up
Bring heavier gloves if you want them (we give out latex gloves)
Dress for the terrain and the weather

Schedule

9:00 am - Check in, get your goodie bag, have some coffee courtesy of Thomas Hammer, fill your water bottle (bring your own!), and find your assigned team

Spokane River Gorge: Meet at High Bridge Park, W Riverside Avenue and "A" Street
University District: Meet at Avista Utilities, 1411 E Mission Avenue

10 am - noon - Trash clean-up

Noon - 3:00 pm - Judging of the “most interesting trash” competition at High Bridge Park

1:30 pm - Prizes awarded for the most interesting trash

Food options at High Bridge: David’s Pizza ($2/slice), beverages ($1)
Food options at Avista HQ: Taco truck (prices vary)

Transportation ("Try not to drive!")

High Bridge Park:

Very limited parking at High Bridge Park
Staffed bike corral at High Bridge
Free bus passes from SFCC to High Bridge and back, with STA busses running every 15 minutes starting at 8:30 am, so park at SFCC and ride with STA. (Route #20 serves SFCC.)

University District:

Parking at Avista headquarters, or
Ride with STA (Route #91 goes by Avista headquarters)

Get Ready!

A few things to know in advance of clean-up day:

Check out the safety info page. Lots of good tips there.
We'll have liability waivers there, but to speed up check-in, download one here, sign and bring it with you to the event.
We'll provide protective latex gloves, plastic bags for trash and recyclables, along with a River Clean-Up backpack as our thank-you. Most folks prefer to bring their own heavier gloves.
Bring your own water. At High Bridge Park, a City of Spokane water truck will be on hand for cool, fresh refills.
Dress right. Be sure to dress for the work and the rugged terrain along the banks of the river. It can be chilly in the morning, then warmer in the afternoon, so bring a light jacket or sweatshirt and wear long pants. Be sure to wear supportive shoes with some tread to avoid slips and falls.
Bring friends. The River Clean-Up is more fun (and we collect more trash) when friends, family, church or co-workers join in. More, more!

With any luck, we'll have another great early-autumn day with friends and family. Join us at the Spokane River Clean-Up for some good clean-ing fun!

Supporting the River Clean-Up

This year, The Lands Council is organizing tree-planting efforts in conjunction with the River Clean-Up. Donate any amount to that effort and assist the River Clean-Up at the same time. Your (tax-deductible) donation of $20 or more also gives you a one-year membership with Friends of the Falls. For more information, see our membership page.

The River Clean Up needs volunteers and team leaders. Team leaders attend a short orientation/training in advance of the event, and lead a group of approximately 30 volunteers at the river cleanup. If you’d like to be a team leader or volunteer, contact Stephen Barbieri via e-mail, or at 509-953-6437.

Sponsors & Partners

Please thank our sponsors and partners! The Spokane River Clean-Up is made possible by our sponsors and the contributions of many community partners.

Sponsors: Avista, Alt29 Design, Spokane River Stewardship Partners, Spokesman-Review/Down to Earth, Wheelabrator Spokane, Burlington Northern, City of Spokane

Partners: David’s Pizza, Department of Ecology, Downtown Spokane Partnership, Earthworks Recycling, Fat Tire Mountain Bike Club, FLOW Adventures, Futurewise, Gonzaga University, Jensen Distributing, Mountain Gear, Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol, Northern Lights Brewery, Northern Lights Whitewater Association, Northern Lights Brewery, Northwest Whitewater Association, Out There Monthly, REI, Rings & Things, Spokane Canoe & Kayak Club, Spokane Community College/Water Resources Program, Spokane Falls Community College, Spokane Fly Fishers, Spokane Mountaineers, Spokane River Forum, Spokane Riverkeeper, Spokane Transit Authority, Sustainable September, The Lands Council, Thinking Cap Communications, Thomas Hammer Coffee, Trout Unlimited, Veterans Conservation Corps, Waste Management Iinc., West Central Community Center, WSU Spokane.