Nothing fishy here: Utah group helps keep state waterways clean

UTAH COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — Fish For Garbage, a Utah group helping to keep Utah’s waterways clean from garbage and debris, celebrated their 10th anniversary on Friday with their annual cleanup event along the Provo River.

Over 400 volunteers grabbed trash bags, gloves and pickers to help gather up litter during Friday’s event, with the cleanup streching along the river from Mount Timpanogos Park up to Deer Creek Trailhead. Local residents, sponsors and state agencies all helped with Friday’s cleanup — even high school students who came to help as part of their prom date.

Mike Slater with the Utah Department of Natural Resources says it is nice that people are taking the time to enjoy the outdoors, but it’s important to keep Utah’s waterways and trails clean.

“It’s a good thing [the Provo River is] getting used,” Slater said. “But I wish people would take their stuff back with them — the trash, I should say.”

Fish For Garbage have expanded their efforts during the past decade, hosting clean ups for several of northern Utah’s waterways each summer. Group president Jared Winkler calls the growth and the project itself rewarding.

“The biggest thing we are doing is showing people, with a little bit of effort, we can make this place so much better and be an example for future generations,” Winkler said.

The group has five more clean ups planned, one for each month this summer. For more information, you can visit their website or their Facebook page.