IRU volunteers helped remove 850 pounds of trash from the Boise River

IRU volunteers helped mark the end to the float season by clearing out nearly 1,000 pounds of trash from the Boise River. Volunteers pulled out bikes, a surprising number of paintings, and many shoes.

In partnership with the radio station 94.9 the River on Saturday, September 7th, IRU hosted our first End of Float Season Clean-up. This event was an overwhelming success and we owe it all to the dedication of our amazing volunteer team and community supporters. 

Over 200 passionate volunteers met us at Payette Brewing to collect cleanup supplies and then head out to scout the Boise River for litter. Our volunteers removed debris from 16 miles of riverbank extending from Barber to Veterans Park finding a wide array of trash including a shopping cart, chess set pieces, paintings, bicycles, a book wrapped in a mozzarella stick bag, a beer stein, and so much more. In total, our volunteers collected a whopping 850 pounds of trash and recycling from the Greenbelt. 

Following the event, all of our volunteers rallied at Payette Brewing for an after party where we gave away prizes to participants and highlighted some of their exciting finds along the river. By the end of the clean-up, the amount of trash collected was staggering, but even more impressive was the shared feeling of accomplishment knowing that the effort of our volunteers will have a lasting impact on the Boise River and our local community.

We cannot express enough gratitude to everyone who participated in this event from our volunteers, to our supporters – AIRE, Alpacka Raft, Boise Parks & Recreation, Boise Raft & Tube, Republic Service, Dawsons Taylor, and Payette Brewing – as well as those in the community who helped spread the word about this incredible event. 

Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success and we look forward to seeing you at our next clean-up.