OTWAY — The Friends of Scioto Brush Creek (FoSCBC) recently gathered with community volunteers yet again in 2024, after another record-breaking year of trash removal in freshwater streams, riparian zones, and along roads to do their thing once again.

Providing litter tongs, buckets, trash bags, and safety vests, they navigated Otway with volunteers to clean and make a safer environment for wildlife.

Volunteers gathered in the heart of the watershed on Saturday (July 20) to remove litter from two miles of State Route 348, the Brush Creek Community and Otway Covered Bridge Parks and walking path, and the Gladys Riley Golden Star Lily Preserve.

According to FoSCBC President Jody McCallister, “Volunteers removed an array of items and trash from the roadsides and parks before it could find its way into the water. Unusual items found during this clean-up included a cell phone, road reflectors left after a recent road upgrade, tires, and our normal array of food containers and other items discarded by people.”

Along these routes, volunteers work hard to keep debris from streams and Riparian buffer zones.

“Riparian buffer zones are tree lined banks along waterways that provide shade which helps keep water temperatures cool. The cooler water dissolves more oxygen and makes it available to the fish and other stream life,” McAllister explained. “Without tree lined banks the water temperature rises depriving fish and other species living in the stream of oxygen and they can suffocate. This in turn upsets the balance in the stream community. I’m happy to be member of an organization whose mission is to maintain and protect water quality for future generations.”

The volunteers made the job easier as they left a noticeable impact in these trafficked locations.

“The phrase ‘many hands makes light work’ really applies during an adopt-a-highway cleanup,” McCallister said on Sunday. “You will see many bags of trash sitting along the shoulder of SR 348 near Otway this weekend and our partners with the Ohio Department of Transportation will arrive on Monday to pick up all the bags and items the FoSBC volunteers gathered.”

According to the group, 13 volunteers from Adams County, Ironton, Portsmouth, Lucasville, Otway and Rarden showed up.

“I am always humbled by the people both inside and outside the watershed community who come to participate in litter cleanups,” McCallister said. “It’s not the most glamorous way to spend a Saturday morning, but they do so with smiles on their faces and energetically clean up litter because they believe the Scioto Brush Creek Watershed is worth protecting.”

The FoSBC is a 501©3 non-profit serving the watershed of Scioto Brush Creek through conservation efforts, education, park development and events and more.

The group hosts an annual Scioto Brush Creek Sweep event, a Scioto Brush Creek Day, and attends local events to educate students and families.

To learn more about the group, or to stay updated on their work, please visit them on Facebook.

“The importance of stopping the litter from reaching the stream is critical for maintaining the streams exceptional water quality for both the flora and fauna that depend on clean water to survive as well for humans who love to fish, paddle, and enjoy the hiking trails in the watershed nature preserves with their abundance of wildlife, wildflowers, and opportunities to unwind in the serenity of nature,” McCallister said.