Dawson-Bryant students assist Living Lands and Waters in river sweep

COAL GROVE — The Illinois-based group Living Lands and Waters has been in our region for the last month, working to clean the banks of the Ohio River of trash and debris and, last week, they got an assist from a group of Dawson-Bryant High School seniors.

Two College Credit Plus chemistry classes, comprised of 33 students, spent Aug. 22, working with the group in the Wheelersburg area.

“We got off the bus and walked down to the dock,” Caitlyn Robinson said. “Then we got on little jon boats and they took us to the barge.”

The students said the barge, part of a fleet which houses Living Lands and Waters’ crew and serves as their headquarters during operations, also functioned as a floating classroom, where the students learned about the group’s mission and about water quality.

“We did water testing,” Brandi Johnson said of the samples they took. “And we checked to see what kind of stuff was in it.”

They compared the Ohio River results to values for healthy freshwater ecosystems.

Phosphate and nitrate levels, dissolved oxygen, pH, alkalinity, turbidity and temperature were among the things evaluated and they discussed different variables that affect the values and the water quality.

They said, while there were some pollutants in the sample, it was mostly clear and better than they expected.

“It wasn’t as bad as people make it out to be,” Robinson said of the Ohio waters.” It wasn’t toxic.”

Karla Slack, the chemistry teacher at the school, said there were signs of possible algae blooms, though.

“That takes more of the oxygen away,” Robinson said.

“And it makes it harder for fish and wildlife to live,” Mattie Malone said.

Following the lesson and testing, the students then again boarded the jon boats.

“We went to riverside and picked up trash,” Abby Camp said, adding that plastic items were the most numerous among the things they collected. Though they also saw some tires, as well as several barrels full of dirt.

“We had to cut those open and use a shovel to get it all out,” Johnson said.

They encountered some unusual items along the way, too.

“I found a plastic pig,” Camp said, particularly proud of her discovery.

When their time collecting was finished, the students had gathered up 2,495 pounds of trash in the Wheelersburg area and around the Greenup Locks and Dam, which was then taken back to the barges.

Living Lands and Waters has a tire barge, a garbage barge (made from repurposed items), and an excavator barge, which they use to break down the items for recycling.

Founded in 2012 by Chad Pregracke, the organization works along the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri rivers and their tributaries most of the year and has collected 9.8 million pounds of trash to date.

Recently, they have worked in South Point, Portsmouth, Ironton and other locations in our area, collecting on both the Ohio and Kentucky sides of the river.

The students said they received a valuable education from their day’s work.

“We learned how important it is to recycle,” Malone said.

Robinson said most people don’t understand how most litter ends up in the waterways.

“We saw how much gets to the river,” she said. “No matter where you throw something down. People don’t think.”

“They never guess it goes to the river,” Malone said.

Slack said the students had been talking about the impact the day had them and how they were trying to be more mindful about plastic waste.

“I was at Taco Bell, and I didn’t use a lid or a straw,” Malone said.

Robinson said she has changed her habits when it comes drinking water.

“I’m not using bottles,” she said. “I’m using a glass and filling up from the tap.”

Living Lands and Waters will remain in the region until Sept. 8.

Volunteers are still sought for clean ups and info on helping is available on the group’s website at livinglandsandwaters.org, as well as their Facebook page.