News : River Rats plan annual Cedar clean-up Saturday

Volunteers wearing shirts like this will be busy Saturday, helping clean the Cedar River.

The storm that damaged countless trees in the area has also affected the Cedar River, said Tami Stark, the organizer of the annual Cedar River RATS (Running Around Tidying Streams) group that meets the first Saturday of each August to remove refuse from the river.

This year, said Stark, the group will begin at the Riverside boat ramp and end at the Wildcat. Hefle Dulin Park will serve as a drop-off site, and Martha Long and her group will serve lunch at Benton City Park. All of those facilities are managed by the Benton County Conservation Department.

The storm, said Stark, has had two specific effects. First, a couple of families who normally participate cannot this year, because their boats sustained damage in the July 11 wind storm. Second, the large number of tree that have fallen into the river have already become resting places for floating debris.

Stark said more boats and volunteers are needed for the clean-up, which begins at 9 a.m. this Saturday, Aug. 6. All of the necessary equipment will be provided. For more information, call Stark at 319-558-7476. This year's sponsors include the Red Cedar Chapter of the Izaak Walton League, and Wast Management, which has provided a large commercial size trash container, and will remove it at no cost -- a $600 value, said Stark.