Northwest Arkansas Volunteers Pick Trash At Beaver Lake

ROGERS -- Roland Goicoechea winced and moaned as he reached through prickly vines into a bush for a piece of garbage.

"All that for a potato chip bag," he said.

Saturday was a hot summer day. While some people flocked to Beaver Lake to cool off, about 75 volunteers spent the morning there for a different reason: They wanted to clean it up.

The volunteers gathered at Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area's Visitor Center to gather gloves and trash bags before splitting up to various parts of the lake.

Rebekah Penny, a Hobbs park interpreter, helped organize the event along with several other community partners. It was inspired by Gov. Mike Beebe's declaration July is Lake Appreciation Month, she said.

"We want to remind people of the beauty and fun of the lake, but also remind them of how important good water quality is as well," Penny said.

Goicoechea, the park's volunteer coordinator, led 10 volunteers to a secluded cove off Mule Lot Road. Within an hour he picked up about 100 bottles and cans, he said.

It was evident people had been shooting off fireworks at the cove recently.

"This is the part of Fourth of July they never show on television," Goicoechea said, as he collected used sparklers and other firework debris on the shore. "Blown up paper and plastics."

Wendi Williams, a geology professor at NorthWest Arkansas Community College, offered her summer students credit if they joined her on the cleanup effort. Sixteen of her 18 students showed up, she said.

"I hope by getting them involved this way it's something they'll want to continue doing," Williams said. "Hands-on learning is just as important, if not more important, than listening to a lecture in class."

One of Williams' students who came out was Thomas Burton, 38, of Noel, Mo. He also brought his daughters Mya, 9, and Madison, 8.

"I like to instill good habits in them, like cleaning up after yourself," Burton said. "Unfortunately sometimes you've got to clean up after other people."

Jeff Williams, Wendi Williams' husband, said he picked up many cigarette butts and fireworks.

"If it wasn't picked up soon, it would probably be washed into the lake or buried in the sand," he said.

Volunteers reconvened at the Visitor Center at noon with their trash. The plastic and aluminum items that could be recycled were saved; others were too badly degraded to recycle and went in the trash bin.

Volunteers returned with more than 10 tires they found dumped near or in the lake.

"Tires as they degrade put a lot of chemicals in the water and can quickly degrade water quality," said Angela Danovi, Arkansas projects manager for Ozarks Water Watch. "I'd like to see a day we do a cleanup and there are no tires pulled out."

Danovi cheered the volunteers as they returned and dumped their trash. She said she felt good about the participation level considering it was the first time for the event.

"I think this brings awareness about the connection between the land, streams and lake," she said.