Group helps clean up Montreal River

IRONWOOD—A group met Saturday morning at the Michigan Welcome Center to help clean up the banks alongside the Montreal River.

Led by the Forest Service Department, the group met first to discuss safety procedures, protective equipment and the areas that would be cleaned up, which consisted of five zones.

Garbage and recycling collection was done just on public land alongside the river and not actually in the water.

Another river clean up day will be held Aug. 22nd in which volunteers will have the opportunity to wade into the water to collect garbage, when the water level is down.

Protective gloves and special order ‘National River Cleanup’ garbage bags were distributed among the five clean up groups.

The five clean up zones consisted of a 2-mile stretch along the Montreal River. Zone one was along the river right by the Welcome Center at U.S. 2.

Zone two was on the WI side along U.S. 51 from about Dairy Queen down to the Farmer’s Market.

Zone three started by the Bright Spot bar and went along the river to the railroad grades where the Mich./Wis. border meet. This group had the privilege of seeing the Hurley High School/UW-Extension collaboration mural, which is still a work in progress.

The fourth zone was the railroad grade along the Wis.-side ATV trail and the fifth zone was along Norrie Park Road.

It was a chilly and damp morning/early afternoon for the clean up crew but that didn’t deter anyone from having fun and getting the job done.

After the clean up, the group was treated to a cook-out back at the Welcome Center where they had a chance to eat some hamburgers and hot dogs and socialize.