Volunteers pick up trash between Stateline and Wahweap marinas

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The lower lake levels have revealed evidence of fun times in days gone by. What were once memories are now trash that had been out of sight at the bottom of the lake.

Some of this debris was picked up by volunteers during the first annual “We Love Trash 2022” shore and lake cleanup day on May 21, sponsored by Lake Powell Marine along with Lake Powell Vacations.  

Lake Powell Marine provided 75 T-shirts for participants to wear and keep, according to Josh Summers, who organized the cleanup.   

By the end of the day, there were 10 T-shirts left. In the first hour, 40 people volunteered. By the end of the day, based on the number of T-shirts left, at least 65 people had volunteered. Some of them declined the T-shirts, though, so there were actually more than 65 volunteers of all ages.

Summers and Val, an employee of Lake Powell Marine, greeted volunteers at a table in the Wahweap Picnic Area and provided them with trash bags, gloves and trash tongs.

Lake Powell Vacations provided a shuttle van to take volunteers to and from the Stateline and Wahweap ramps, and back to the picnic area. Volunteers picked trash from Stateline Boat Rentals to Wahweap Marina.

Three pontoon boats were also on the lake, with volunteers picking up a variety of trash. Among the items found were two large trash cans that were immediately reused to hold smaller items, a 55-gallon steel drum that was too rusty to reuse, a fishing pole, and a large outdoor bench cushion that was so water-logged that it had to be drained first.  

Summers said he was amazed by how many marine batteries were recovered and how many broken propellers were found.  The batteries were recycled.

At noon, volunteers were treated to lunch, cold bottled water and soft drinks at the picnic area. They shared stories with each other about what they had found and how nice the weather was for the event, especially after the recent winds.

By the end of the morning, volunteers filled a large roll-off trash container as well as a smaller dumpster, for a total of around 45 cubic yards of trash.

Summers thanked Lake Powell Vacations and Glen Canyon NRA for their participation. He said he intends to hold the event every year.