Local nonprofit in Yuma hosts Colorado River clean-up

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - The Friends of the Lower Colorado River hosted a trash clean-up Saturday morning.

The event took place at Gateway Park at 7 a.m., with over 30 people volunteering to help clean the Colorado River, according to the organization's post on Facebook.

The organization asked volunteers to wear study shoes, and said the cleanup supplies and water were provided.

Visit Yuma, who sponsored the event, provided coffee and donuts to the volunteers while WaFd Bank provided the gloves and Walmart on Avenue B provided the snacks and drinks, according to the organization.

During the event, the organization said the volunteers found a mattress, box springs and tires.

Joseph Browne, Vice President of the Friends of the Lower Colorado River, shared the significance of cleaning up the Colorado River.

"It's our resource. This is what we use for recreation. And, a lot of times government solution is if they can't keep it clean, they shut it off to everyone. So we're trying to prevent that from happening...create that awareness that people clean up after themselves," Browne explained.

In addition, the volunteers also clean-up the river on the California side, with the organization saying they worked with the Quechan community to cleanup highly used areas of the river.

If anyone missed out on Saturday's clean-up, the organization will host another one in June. For when and where it will happen, follow the organization's Facebook page HERE.