CLIFTON — Gila Watershed Partnership announced it will conduct a cleanup of the San Francisco River in Greenlee County.
“We’ve done water quality testing out there for years,” said Dr. Sarah Sayles, executive director for GWP, “and part of our process in helping the river are these quarterly cleanups.”
Volunteers will meet Saturday, at 8 a.m., in Riverside Park in Clifton, for sign-in, a safety briefing and assignments.
“We actually accomplish something — actually two things. One is we’ve seen that e.Coli load decreased; part of that is we’ve put in some bathrooms there through a grant; part of it is we’re continuing to do that cleanup,” Sayles said.
“The other impact we’ve had is there’s less trash every time we go. Because, I think, the community begins to see that we’re out there doing this for them, to help them out. And they’re less likely to go out and dump stuff near the river.”
Volunteers are asked to bring hats, sunscreen, closed-toe shoes and a refillable water container.
To pre-register go to San Francisco River Clean Up Event Registration Form (volgistics.com).
Gila Watershed Partnership is a nonprofit organization, striving to protect and improve the overall health of the Upper Gila Watershed.
