PIERRE, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) Missouri River Cleanup around Pierre and Fort Pierre clears 2+ tons of stuff out of the water The annual Missouri River/Lake Sharpe Cleanup event at Pierre and Fort Pierre took 2.21 tons of debris out of the two bodies of water. Paul Lepisto with the Izaak Walton League says over 90 volunteers in water and land-based crews, cleaned up areas from the Oahe Dam to east of the Farm Island Recreation Area.

Each year the cleanup effort finds some strange or unique items. Lepisto says this year is no different.  He says the cleanup was conducted with eight boats– both agency and private– and many land-based teams.  Lepisto says in the 14 cleanups that have been done, over 1,000 volunteers have picked up over 30 tons of litter and trash from along the river.

The volunteers collected:

  • 2,100pounds – 1.05 tons of rubble (lumber)
  • 1,780 pounds – .89 ton of litter and trash
  • 280 pounds – .14 ton of scrap metal
  • 260 pounds – .13 ton of tires

The Missouri River clean-up was coordinated by the Izaak Walton League, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Fish and Wildlife Service and cities of Pierre and Fort Pierre.