Out & About: Cleanup during September events focused on Spokane River

The community spotlight is on the river that runs through the city in September, with events inside and out centered around the Spokane River Cleanup on Sept. 19.

“We’ve turned a corner as a community toward recognizing the river for what it is and what it can be,” said Andy Dunau of the Spokane River Forum. The forum brings stakeholders together and promotes projects including river access.

The Spokane River Cleanup in 11 past years has attracted hundreds of people, youths and adults, for 9 a.m.-noon efforts that have removed many tons of trash along the river.

Last year the large-scale volunteer effort didn’t get off the ground. This year several groups banded together and attracted sponsors to revive it, said Lindsay Box of The Lands Council.

Individuals and groups can register online to be assigned in cleanup areas based out of High Bridge Park downstream from Maple Street or the Avista headquarters on Upriver Drive.

Churches, schools, college environmental groups, businesses and other groups are organizing teams for the cleanup. Evergreen East, a mountain biking group, already has promised to focus on the Camp Sekani area.

The Spokane Riverkeeper is organizing rafters to do get trash that land crews can’t reach.

The Riverkeeper got a head start on the cleanup this year by recruiting local volunteer groups for short weekly raft floats through the summer. “We’ve already pulled out 3,500 pounds of garbage,” spokesman Jerry White said.

On Sept. 18, Spokane Mayor David Condon will join the head table for the H2O Breakfast that’s open to the public at the Spokane Convention Center. Guest speaker is Chad Pregracke, who’s been recognized internationally for successful efforts to clean up rivers such as the Mississippi.

In that spirit, the City of Spokane has scheduled divers and a barge to winch junk from deep holes in the river Sept. 14-18.

The city has recently been focused on the river’s water quality, including sewage treatment and storm water improvements, said Marlene Feist, Utilities spokeswoman.

“Once we bury the infrastructure it’s out of sight, out of mind,” she said. “The cleanup is one more-obvious way to demonstrate our commitment to the river.”

• Register for the cleanup and for the H2O Breakfast ($15) and see other river-focused activities at the Spokane River Forum website, spokaneriver.net.

• Sign up for the Sept. 18 Dirty Martinis for Clean Water fundraiser for the Riverkeeper at eventbrite.com.

• Spokefest on Saturday and ValleyFest on Sept. 27 include biking events centered on the river.