Cooper's Landing Missouri River Cleanup 2020

Friday, October 23 - October 25, 2020
Cooper's Landing Campgrounds & Marina

Being able to do a clean-up on our home stretch of river brings us so much joy. Through sun, wind, rain, and cold, 99 dedicated volunteers and crew cleaned up along a 14 mile stretch of river near Cooper’s Landing over the course of 3 days, removing 5.5 tons of trash including 56 tires. Each day brought new trash treasures, tires and boatloads of bags to be sorted for recycling. Our volunteer crew spent 5 chilly days with us as we set up camp, scouted the river for trash, cleaned the river, and picked up camp at the end.

On Friday we welcomed our first groups of volunteers. The morning got off to a rough start with cold rain and an hour lightning delay. The same storm that stuck our dear McBaine Bur Oak Tree. Once the skies lightened up, our volunteers hit the river. A group from Columbia Rotary South worked at the mouth of the Perche Creek while AmeriCorps members from Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture worked across the river, tackling nearly 20 tires along Plowboy Bend Conservation Area. Another group from Boone's Lick Master Naturalists headed 2 miles upstream to hit a site littered with bottles and styrofoam cups while the Davenport-Counihan group headed downstream to tackle their own trashy site.

On Saturday we had 3 additional boats from the Missouri Department of Conservation join us to help get volunteers out on the river, doubling our capacity for the day. Several families along with groups from Columbia Rotary South, Rotary Interact, Mizzou Alternative Breaks, and Ashland Future Farmers of America joined us on the river. After their hard work, everyone headed back to Cooper’s to enjoy a riverside lunch while watching boatloads of trash come up the ramp. Soon after, the recycling began. Bag after bag was opened and hand-sorted into glass, aluminum and clean plastics.

Sunday was our final day on the river and our chance to get all of the remaining trash sites. Another group from Future Farmers of America, along with Hickman Biology Club, Conservation Federation of Missouri Conservation Leadership Corps, and U.S. Geological Survey helped us get the job done. While folks were out on the river, the River Relief Crew went to work on breaking down camp, cleaning equipment and loading vehicles to make sure we were able to leave before Monday’s weather. Just as the sun was setting the last of our boats and vehicles headed to the boatyard to close out one crazy season.