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Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) and Greater Arkansas River Nature Association (GARNA) will co-host an honorary 29th Annual Arkansas River Cleanup-Greenup #CUGU2020 in conjunction with Earth Day and Colorado Public Lands Day between April 22 and May 16.

As in previous years, we encourage individuals to clean up trash and debris from the river corridor along the banks of the Arkansas River in preparation for run-off.  This year, due to concerns related to COVID-19, we ask that you do not work together in groups outside of your family unit and that you maintain a minimum 6-foot distance from any other individuals that you may encounter.

Between Earth Day, April 22, and Colorado Public Lands Day, May 16, individuals may pick up trash bags (provided by American Rivers) outside of the AHRA Visitor Center, located at 307 W Sackett Ave, Salida, or outside of the GARNA office, located at 209 E 3rd St, Salida, and stay tuned for a Buena Vista location to pick up bags. To schedule trash drop-off, call the AHRA at 719-539-7289, or bring your bags and other large items to AHRA on May 16th when a dumpster will be placed outside of the Visitor Center. The northern end of Chaffee County is excited to join the effort with a simple process. Contact BV Parks and Recreation at 719–395-2408 or email recdirector@buenavistaco.gov (or PM us) to schedule a time to pick up bags. Then you can dispose of the bags yourself or bring them back to BV Parks and Rec to dispose of them.

We’d love to see what you find!  Prizes will still be awarded for “Largest Piece of Trash” #CUGU2020Largest, “Strangest Piece of Trash” #CUGU2020Strangest, “Most Upcycle-Worthy Piece of Trash” #CUGU2020Upcycle, and “People’s Choice” #CUGU2020PeoplesChoice.  Be sure to share and tag your photos, or email your submissions to ahra@state.co.us.  

Remember, don’t pick up hazardous trash.  Please notify the AHRA if you come across any item or material that may be dangerous, including but not limited to leaky batteries, chemical containers, sharp items (including needles or other biohazard waste), or live ammunition or explosives.  Immediately alert the AHRA at 719-539-7289 if these items are discovered during your cleanup. Please handle items such as broken glass, aerosol and gas cans, or other containers with traces of volatile materials with caution.  

The  AHRA launched its annual river cleanup program in 1992 in cooperation with American Rivers and National River Cleanup. In fact, that first river Cleanup-Greenup on May 9, 1992, earned an Honorary Proclamation by then-Gov. Roy Romer as “Arkansas River Cleanup Day.”

Any individual who completes at least 48 hours of logged CPW volunteer work within a 12-month period is eligible to earn a free volunteer pass.  To create a volunteer profile and log hours for this opportunity, visit the CPW CUGU Volunteer site at http://bit.ly/AHRACleanupGreenup.  This form is not mandatory! In order to keep our efforts spread out, please select a cleanup site at http://bit.ly/AHRACleanupGreenupSites.

For more information, contact AHRA at 719-539-7289 or email ahra@state.co.us.

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