By ANGELA ASSAF

cnlife@crescent-news.com

A bicycle, furniture, refrigerator parts and a port-a-potty made up some of the three tons of sodden debris pulled out onto the river bank during the 2009 Barb Breckler Memorial Maumee River Shoreline Sweep.

Fort Defiance Boat and Ski Club brought its boats to the marina to pick up the 50 volunteers. Groups concentrated on the marina area, the shoreline of the Maumee from the dam to the railroad bridge west of the North Clinton Street Bridge, the area of the Maumee in Defiance County designated "recreational" by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

"Nothing turns you into an environmentalist more than when you pick up other people's trash and get mud on your fingers and mud on your feet," says Tim Houck, event coordinator and director of Defiance County Environmental Services.

Porcelain commodes, appliances, car parts; you name it, Houck and his crew have dragged it ashore.

In past years volunteers extricated a pick-up load size of meat that had been chucked into the river apparently to dispose of evidence from a recent meat market robbery.

"Some of the meat was still frozen and some of it was rotten. It was not a pretty sight."

Jamie Blank, a ski club member, who has been doing the sweep for 25 years recalls they once pulled out a car bumper that had the Ohio license plate still attached.

"We contacted the fellow and asked him if he would like to come pick it up." (At that time there was no fine for littering.)

This year they spent a half hour removing a 5x5-foot log under the East Second Street Bridge that was horizontally blocking the passageway.

"Doug Justinger and Keith Westrick both used their boats to tie it to shore. It would have been hazardous for small boats on the Fourth," noted Blank.

The river sweep is part of the Solid Waste District's Management Plan and the Keep America Beautiful (KAB} activities.

Houck established the environmental office and wrote the first grant for the river collection in the 80s, when environmentalism was still in its infancy. At that time there were a number of such programs in cities throughout Ohio.

They have since died off; making Houck's the oldest on-going collection in the state. He says he is grateful for the many organizations and individuals who have helped keep the program afloat going on 27 years.

Back in 1985 when the river sweep was first getting started, the Ohio National Guard participated with volunteers from an engineer battalion. Surveys at that time showed that there were about 15 "dump sites" along the waterway.

"We were attacking those areas with very heavy equipment. That time we drug up between 80-90 appliances." He says they later went back and added stone to serve as erosion control in place of the wall of trash that had collected there.

"Every year is unique and different," he says of the hands-on event.

This year more boats were involved. The Maumee was exceptionally high making some areas noted with debris inaccessible.

The sweep takes place annually on the first or second Saturday in June. Over the years it has become more about public awareness than it has a collection.

"The Maumee River is an important part of our community and is not a one day event. Throughout the year recreational boaters and visitors, pick up litter and help to keep the river clean."

The best evidence is no evidence apparently.

There are no longer any "dump sites," he reports.

"On the average we pick up between 2-3 tons of debris. Originally it was more like hundreds of tons. That is not the case any more. We pick up less and less material off the river every year."

The river collection continues to be a great collaborative success for the office and the community in building corporate relations and making new friends says Houck.

Kissner's restaurant and McDonald's have been providing food and beverage for the volunteers since its inception. Correction Center of Northwest Ohio and ODNR's Independence State Dam Park workers also contribute to the effort.

The event this year was renamed in recognition of the late Barb Breckler, a Defiance County Environmental Services employee and stalwart supporter of the river sweep.