On Saturday, July 31, 2021, the Wabash River Defenders (WRD) will be hosting their annual Clean Out the Banks event. Participants should gather at Paradise Spring Historic Park, 351 E. Market Street, at 7:00 am for coffee and donuts with instructions starting at 7:30. After the clean-up event, the day winds down with a lunch sponsored by Thomas Technologies and prepared by the Knights of Columbus. Cleanup will occur rain or shine, with the exception of lightning.

River and land “teams” carry out the event’s goal of cleaning our local Wabash River (and tributaries) and its banks. A “team” consists of two to twenty people with a boat(s) and/or truck. When signing up, individuals should declare their Team leader and/or members.  They should also indicate whether their team prefers to be a  river team or a land team.

River teams focus on gathering the debris on kayaks, canoes and Jon boats. The depth of the water is typically from the 6-24 inches which is controlled through the release of water at the Huntington Dam and Salamonie Dam by the Army Corp of Engineers.

All river participants should be over 13 years of age; however, a parent or guardian must accompany those under the age of 18.  There is no age limit for land team members.

Planning to attend?  Here a list of helpful supplies to get the job done:  Pickup trucks, boats, shovels, trowels, rope, and personal gear like gloves, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug repellant, personal beverages and personal flotation device for each person in a boat.  Proper shoes are very important.  Through many years of experience, WRD has found that lace-up tennis shoes work best for protection, and ease of movement.

Want to join the Young Professionals of Wabash County Team? Email yp@growwabashcounty.com

For information and registration call Jen Rankin, at 260-563-7649 or 260-503-9880. Watch our Facebook page for more information and updates.