Celebrate Earth Day with our Boise river clean up
It's finally starting to look like spring – the river flows are increasing, the tree foliage is starting to blossom, birds are constructing their nests, and the locals are out recreating enjoying the sunny, warm weather. Spring is the start of Idaho Rivers United’s busy season and we are preparing for one of our favorite events of the year – our Annual Boise River Clean Up on Earth Day, occurring April 22, 2023, 10-12pm.
Earth Day & the Boise River
Looking at our beautiful, pristine Boise River today, one would never guess that prior to the 1960’s it was used as a waste disposal system for trash, sewage, and animal waste – leaving it unfit for its recreational use today.
How did a trash filled river become the Boise river our community loves today? Boise discontinued dumping raw sewage in the river with the construction of its first ever sewage plant built in September of 1949, new ordinances required residents to dispose of trash in designated landfills, and industrial wastewater standards and regulations were initiated with the development of Earth Day, the EPA and the Clean Water Act.
In addition, the local community took initiatives in protecting and restoring the urban river – adding 25 miles of greenbelt pathway and numerous green spaces – making the Boise river a recreational hub and essential to the way of life in the Treasure Valley community.
History of Earth Day
The Boise river wasn’t the only heavily polluted waterway in the nation during the mid-twentieth century, the Cuyahoga River in Ohio ignited multiple times from 1868-1969 due to industrial pollution, with the most notable fire occurring on June 22, 1969, and a massive oil spill leaked off the coast of Santa Barbara, CA spilling 4.2 million gallons of crude oil over a six month period in 1969 – killing 3,700 seabirds. The observation of pollution events like these sparked the idea for the first Earth Day celebration.
The first Earth Day was started on April 22, 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. Senator Nelson, his colleague, Pete McCloskey, and environmental activist Denis Hays organized a campus teach-in informing college students about air and water pollution. The first Earth Day consisted of 20 million participants nationwide. Today, the organization, Earth Day, estimates that 1 billion people worldwide are engaged in stewardship and eco-activism every year.
Celebrate Earth Day 2023 with IRU!
On April 22, 2023 join Idaho Rivers United in celebrating Earth Day and help keep the banks of our local Boise River clean at several locations along the Boise River. Please sign-up for our Annual Boise River Clean-Up at the following link: https://idahoriversunited.salsalabs.org/2023boiserivercleanup/index.html.
Unable to attend our Annual River Clean Up? Please consider helping one of our local Aveda partners celebrate Earth Month. During Earth Month, local Aveda salon institutes raise funds through a silent auction and raffle where all proceeds support IRU. Follow @rainsalonandspa, @graeberandcompany, and @avedatwinfalls to learn more about upcoming Aveda events during Earth Month.
Are you interested in expanding your Boise River clean-up efforts? IRU will be hosting a monthly Boise River Clean-up starting on June 7th from 6-8PM where volunteers will help maintain our adopted section of the Boise River greenbelt. Volunteers will be responsible for picking-up litter, installing tree wrappings, removing invasive plants, and assisting with a riparian area service project. Email lindsey@idahorivers.org for more information.
