Lexi Bainas, The Citizen, October 01, 2010
A small but enthusiastic group turned out early Sunday morning, Sept. 26, to help clean up the sides of the Cowichan River near Skutz Falls to celebrate World Rivers Day.
While a few folks wandered the trails along the edge of the heritage river, making an enjoyable walk of it, others took to the water.
"We need to get the deb
ris off the riverside when the water is still relatively low," said Don Barry, one of three members of the Vancouver Island Whitewater Paddlers Society, as they gathered near the foot of Mayo Road to get into their gear before carrying their kayaks to the water’s edge to start an interesting day of clean up outdoors.
The three men used mesh bags to pick up all the debris they could, and laughingly said they expected plenty of single flip-flops lost in the transit of the river.
"We don’t want this stuff washed down into the ocean when the river rises," Barry said, adding that kind of work was best done by experienced whitewater paddlers.
Their efforts complimented the work of another group of volunteers who had turned out Sept. 11 to remove a lot of debris and beer and pop containers from the upper reaches of the river in Lake Cowichan.
© Cowichan Valley Citizen 2010
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