Preserving the Platte and Betsie Rivers
Betsie River Clean Sweep Friday, June 9, 2023
Upper Platte River Clean Sweep Saturday, July 15, 2023 Each year, we organize volunteer cleanups on the Platte and Betsie Rivers to remove anthropogenic debris like bottles, tires, and tangles of fishing line. Removing trash not only helps to preserve the quality of these rivers, but it also reveals information about the sources of litter.
At the cleanups, stewards from around the region gather with our partners from the Boardman River Clean Sweep and the Traverse Area Paddle Club to help keep these rivers beautiful, healthy, and safe. Thank you to all volunteers across the years who came out and made a difference! See below for a 2022 summary and pictures from prior events. |
For details on upcoming cleanups, or to register, please visit our events page:
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2022 Betsie River Sweep Summary
The Benzie Conservation District hosted the annual Betsie River Clean Sweep on Saturday, June 11th. Volunteers from across the county and wider region descended upon the Homestead Dam to help clean up and protect the Betsie River, one of the aquatic treasures of Benzie County. 21 volunteers participated in the event, and they worked together to remove more than 20 lbs. of trash from the river. They received breakfast snacks from Ursa Major coffee shop and t-shirts as a reward for their dedication to river stewardship.
“It was a great turnout, and we had a very productive and enjoyable day on the water,” said John Ransom, Conservation Specialist at the District. “We’ve been doing these clean sweeps for over 10 years now, and it’s always exciting to see how much people care about keeping our rivers clean”.
“Most of the trash was fishing gear, with some larger items including lawn chairs, swimming tubes, beer cans and boards with plenty of nails,” added Ransom.
Volunteers washed their boats prior to the event with help from the Aquatic Invasive Species Pathways Program mobile boat washing unit.
“The boat wash is important anytime you head out onto the waters.” said Ransom. “It’s much easier and less costly to prevent the spread of invasives before it happens, compared to removing them once they’ve been established and identified.”
From there, the team split into crews and tackled their own sections of the river.
“I had a great time out there,” said one of the volunteers. “Events like these are always fun because you get to meet people who are also passionate about conserving our natural resources and beauty.”
The Benzie Conservation District will be hosting their annual Platte River Clean Sweep on Saturday, July 16th.
“We hope to see plenty of familiar faces and some new ones next month,” said Ransom.
“It was a great turnout, and we had a very productive and enjoyable day on the water,” said John Ransom, Conservation Specialist at the District. “We’ve been doing these clean sweeps for over 10 years now, and it’s always exciting to see how much people care about keeping our rivers clean”.
“Most of the trash was fishing gear, with some larger items including lawn chairs, swimming tubes, beer cans and boards with plenty of nails,” added Ransom.
Volunteers washed their boats prior to the event with help from the Aquatic Invasive Species Pathways Program mobile boat washing unit.
“The boat wash is important anytime you head out onto the waters.” said Ransom. “It’s much easier and less costly to prevent the spread of invasives before it happens, compared to removing them once they’ve been established and identified.”
From there, the team split into crews and tackled their own sections of the river.
“I had a great time out there,” said one of the volunteers. “Events like these are always fun because you get to meet people who are also passionate about conserving our natural resources and beauty.”
The Benzie Conservation District will be hosting their annual Platte River Clean Sweep on Saturday, July 16th.
“We hope to see plenty of familiar faces and some new ones next month,” said Ransom.
Previous Platte River SweepsUpper Platte River Clean SweepOn Thursday May 31st, 2018 the BCD, in partnership with the Boardman River Clean Sweep and the Traverse Area Paddle Club hosted a clean up of the upper Platte River. In total 21 volunteers collected about 250 pounds of trash from the upper Platte River from Veterans Park downstream to the Deadstream Road crossing. Report can be found here.
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Previous Betsie River SweepsBetsie River Clean SweepOn Saturday June 9th, 2018 the BCD, in partnership with the Boardman River Clean Sweep and the Traverse Area Paddle Club, hosted a cleanup of the Betsie River. In total 54 volunteers collected almost 300 pounds of trash from the Betsie including countless tangles of fishing line and hooks! Report can be found here.
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