Sixty City Light employees with friends and family removed more than a half ton of trash from the Skagit River on Aug. 25.
- Volunteers scan the shoreline for debris.
About 60 Seattle City Light employees and their families and friends, including several Boy Scouts, floated down the Skagit River on Saturday, Aug. 25, during the Skagit River Cleanup.
The day began as the Seattle City Light volunteer group met at the Marblemount Community Club and then traveled to the Skagit River where they boarded rubber rafts. Guides, rafts and lunch were provided by the North Cascades River Expeditions. Working under gleaming blue skies from Marblemount to Rockport, the volunteers floated the river and combed its banks to collect debris.
Additional support came from the U.S. Forest Service and Ranger Phil Kincare, who hauled about 540 pounds of collected trash away. About half of the material was metal that will be recycled.
Volunteers found some unique items along the river banks, including steel cable, a wooden picnic table, a sealed can of Rainier beer, a backpack and an old gas can.
The Skagit Cleanup continues Seattle City Light’s long history of environmental stewardship and displays the dedication and commitment of our employees and others who voluntarily devoted their time on a summer Saturday to help protect the Skagit River.