100 tons of garbage collected near County 19th Street

One volunteer for this weekend's cleanup of Yuma's surrounding land says it all: "I can't believe all the trash out here."

More than 100 tons of trash and debris were collected during the latest cleanup, held Saturday morning in a small area along County 19th Street and the East Main Canal, reported Jack Simes of the Bureau of Reclamation, coordinator for the event.



That doesn't count the 31 vehicles removed before cleanup day by the Bureau of Land Management or the 3 tons of metal, including a number of dumped appliances, collected in advance by a local scrapper. Or the 1,536 tires that were collected for recycling.



It was a good morning's work for the 166 volunteers who came out, many of them high school students.



The Arizona Department of Corrections Wildland Fire Crew came an hour early and got a head start on a lot of the heavier pickup, Simes said, "They did an awesome job."



"It was a really good cleanup with lots of people and heavy equipment," Simes continued. "The community is so great to step forward. The cities of Somerton and San Luis really

stepped up to the plate."



While a good start, the job isn't finished, Simes said. A second cleanup of the same general area has been scheduled for Jan. 19.



And at least one high school student is ready. "We want to do this again - and really finish the job," said the unidentified student.



Saturday's cleanup was the fourth held in the Yuma area this year, during which a total of more than 230 tons of trash has been removed, Simes said with a sigh.



"What a difference four hours can make to an area," one volunteer was heard saying.



Another asked: "Who does this?"



A search for answers to that question and how to get the culprits to stop will be the next big project.



In an effort to combat illegal dumping, Yuma County will host a statewide summit early next year, Simes said. The initiative is being spearheaded by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.



Just a few days ago, Simes said, someone spotted a woman dumping a pickup-load of trash along a canal bank.



"You've got to wonder about a person's values," he said. "My goal is to make the public more aware and appreciative."



It's a long-term commitment for him. He began coordinating cleanups with a Boy Scout project 20 years ago below the Territorial Prison. Over the years the effort has grown to include many groups and partnering agencies, businesses and organizations.



His reward? Hundreds and hundreds of tons of trash later, "the city has reclaimed the riverfront," Simes said.





A LOT OF HELP



- Cleanup sponsors included Arizona Department of Corrections, Arizona Department of Transportation, Arizona Governor's Don't Trash Arizona Program, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, City of San Luis Public Works, City of Somerton Public Works, Liberty Motor Sports, Mellon Farms, Nature Fresh Farms, Pepsi Bottling of Yuma, Take Pride in America, Yuma County Water Users' Association, Yuma County Public Works, Yuma County Sheriff's Posse, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Allied Waste and Highway Supply of Yuma.



- Major groups participating included 23 members of the Arizona Department of Corrections Wildland Fire Crew, 18 people from CITO Geocaching, 18 Somerton Police Explorers, 18 from the Yuma County Juvenile Justice Center and 38 Yuma High School students.