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The first Tar River Rescue water and land cleanup is scheduled for Saturday.

The first Tar River Rescue water and land cleanup is scheduled for Saturday.

The first Tar River Rescue water and land cleanup is scheduled for Saturday.

The first Tar River Rescue water and land cleanup is scheduled for Saturday.

The discovery of tires, cans and other trash along a four-mile stretch of the Tar River near the wastewater treatment plant has spurred five organizations to combine resources for the first Tar River Rescue, a water and land cleanup planned for Saturday.

Volunteers are needed, organizers say, and a limited number of kayaks will be available for use.

A joint project of the Sierra Club’s Medoc Chapter, the Nash-Rocky Mount Rotary Club, N.C. Wesleyan University Rotoract and Keep America Beautiful, the event will start at 8 a.m. at Sunset Park. Sound Rivers is providing approximately 20 kayaks, paddles and personal floatation devices on a first-come, first-served basis, but volunteers may bring their own kayaks or jon boats along with water shoes, gloves, shovels or trowels for digging. Sponsors will provide trash bags, gloves, grabbers, water and snacks.

“Litter and trash in the Tar River is a problem — not only is it unsightly, but plastic bottles and bags can break down into microplastics, which can be consumed by fish and other wildlife,” Sound Rivers Riverkeeper Jill Howell said. “This river cleanup will help to remove some of the trash from the Tar and will also get folks out on the water to see for themselves how beautiful the river is, despite the trash and other pollution issues, and that it is worth protecting and cleaning up.”

Keep America Beautiful of Nash and Edgecombe Counties has sponsored river cleanups in the past from Sunset Park. Another cleanup was conducted in 2019 with assistance from Sound Rivers near Rocky Mount Mills.

Volunteers on the water may choose to paddle down river to Peachtree Street, upriver toward the Nashville Road access or up Stoney Creek from the boat launch at Sunset Park or go up Stoney Creek. Paddlers will deposit their trash bags and return Sound River kayaks at Sunset Park.

Howell said Sound Rivers will have at least one jon boat patrolling for trash pickup from participants, including heavier items, such as tires.

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old or accompanied by a parent to participate.

Pre-registration for volunteers is encouraged, but not required, in order to help organizers have sufficient supplies available.

Pre-registration is available online at Tar River Rescue Registration. For more information, email Rotary officer Anthony Engrassia at rotaryaje@gmail.com.

Sound Rivers, a 41-one-year-old environmental organization based in Washington, N.C., utilizes volunteers to collect water samples from 53 sites along the Tar River for weekly water quality monitoring from May to September, with results published online at swimguide.org. Two sites are in Rocky Mount, at Bend of the River boating access of the Tar River Reservoir and at Sunset Park. Water samples are also collected in Tarboro at River’s Edge Park.

Howell said Sound Rivers would like to add additional water monitoring sites between Tarboro and Greenville.

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