Is There a River Cleanup Movement Happening Across the Country?

Over the last couple of years, Brandon here in Maine has brought a lot of attention to the number of tires sitting in our rivers. But the more I look into it, the more I realize people and groups all over the country have been doing river cleanups for years.

I have been in the fishing industry for 25 years and have been involved with Trout Unlimited for a long time. I have seen plenty of river cleanups, but I don’t remember seeing this much attention given to them until the last few years.

It got me wondering: Is there a river cleanup movement happening across the country?

I remember when I was part of the Sunkhaze Trout Unlimited group. We had more than 100 members, but it seemed like only five people showed up for meetings and events. It made me wonder if sometimes one passionate person can accomplish more than a large organization.

I wrote an article about Brandon last September after he started removing tires from the Androscoggin River. Since then, a lot has changed.

Just like when you decide you want a red 4Runner and suddenly see red 4Runners everywhere, I have started noticing river cleanups all over Instagram and Facebook that I never noticed before.

Some have been happening for years.

The Delaware River Club⁠ and the Pig Farm Ink “Get Trashed” event have been cleaning up the Upper Delaware River for 10 years. Looking at their pictures, you see tons of tires and trash being removed.

But it makes me wonder: How is there still so much trash after 10 years?

Maybe we are dealing with decades of trash that was put into our rivers long before we knew or cared about the consequences.

Another example is the owner of Mossy Creek Fly Fishing⁠. Since 2019, he has been rowing his boat down the Shenandoah River and filling it with tires. He calls it the “Tire Barge.” He even holds a contest where people guess the number and weight of the tires, with a $100 fly-shop gift card going to the winner.

I think that’s a great way to get people involved.

Brandon’s Tire Mission

I recently asked Brandon why he started pulling tires from the Androscoggin.

His answer was simple:

“Because they’re everywhere and unsightly. Then I did research and learned how bad tires are for the water and for bug life.”

Last year he had removed about 200 tires.

Now he’s up to 662.

Think about that. Six hundred and sixty-two tires.

Brandon says pulling a 50-plus-pound tire from the bottom of a river in five feet of water and current isn’t for the inexperienced. After trying to remove one myself, I can tell you he’s right.

Once Brandon collects around 100 tires, a company takes them and grinds them up for reuse. He also has a GoFundMe to help cover his time and wear and tear on his boat.

Support Brandon’s tire removal mission⁠

He has also received attention from News Center Maine and Down East magazine.

But I think his biggest accomplishment is showing what one person can do.

So I Tried It Myself

This year, with the Penobscot running low, I found an area with a few tires. I had clients with me, so we decided to try removing one.

The first was in about three feet of water.

I couldn’t move it.

I found another downstream in about a foot of water. It was full of dirt, making it even harder to remove. As I was pulling it out, the inner tube hit my hand and I jumped—I knew there were eels in the river.

When Brandon says this isn’t for the weak, I understand now.

It would definitely take several people to remove any real number of tires.

What About the Penobscot?

Will I start removing tires from the Penobscot?

I’m not sure.

Maybe Stac and I will make it part of our 2 Fly Bug Bumper. There are tires in the river, although I wouldn’t say we have a major tire problem.

If they can be safely removed, why not?

The more I look into river cleanups, the more people I find doing them. Some are Trout Unlimited chapters, some are fly shops, clubs and community groups, and some are simply individuals who decided to do something.

Maybe that’s how these movements start.

You don’t always need a big organization or hundreds of volunteers.

Sometimes you just need one person to say, “I’m going to do something about it.”

Maybe this is just the tip of the iceberg.

I didn’t notice the river cleanups before.

But now that I’m looking, I see them everywhere.

And maybe one person really can make a difference.