Flat Branch Trash Mob 2021

Saturday, June 5th
9:00 AM - Noon
University Village Parking Lot

This was our first official Flat Branch Cleanup sparked by Laura Semken's cleanup last year. Flat Branch Creek was the origin of the settlement of Columbia, Missouri because of its ideal low water banks. The beautiful creek is the reason we are all here today! Today, it drains a large part of central Columbia. We had 25 mighty volunteers wading through water, digging plastic bags out of roots and clearing trashy log jams along a 1.5 mile stretch of Flat Branch Creek.

In that short distance we collected 43 heavy green mesh bags of trash and cleared the notorious trash trap under bridge 3 near Quarry Lake. The trash builds up under the bridges from the log jams created underneath. This unfortunately also stops the flow of stream water. Nonetheless, it was great to collect that trash before it eventually makes its way to the River! We made sure to clean the litter in the creek area at Flat Branch Park, a family park downtown at the beginning of the creek.

From karate belts to vacuums, you never know what you're going to find on these urban streams. Most of the trash found is the typical snacks, bottles, and alcohol containers, so let’s be mindful of our trash! Thank you so much to those folks who came out to help yesterday and a huge thanks to MRR Crew Member Rob Nix who helped us haul the trash with his amazing bike trailer! Thanks, Rob.