The beautiful shores of Utah Lake are well loved these days. Many people enjoy recreating on and around the lake and sometimes there is not-so-beautiful evidence left behind.
Local non-profit Conserve Utah Valley recently held a lakeshore cleanup, which is one of many the organization has coordinated with the Utah Lake Authority over the past five years.
Past cleanups for CUV have been held at Mill Race Boat Ramp in the east bay of Provo. This year’s cleanup, which was held on October 24 was held at three different spots: Mill Race, Sandy Beach and the Rock Island Waterfowl Management area. These are three of 28 access points for the lake.
Student Initiative Triples Volunteer Turnout
Kaye Nelson, CUV executive director, said it was unusual for her group to clean three sites but that was due to the diligent efforts of BYU junior Eris Foutz who contacted CUV about helping on a regular basis.
“She advertised the event so well that the number of volunteers tripled from past cleanups,” Nelson said. “We needed to add more sites to accommodate the numbers who wanted to help.”
Foutz, who is studying experience design and management, said that when she saw how many had signed up, that she needed to find more sites to clean. So, she worked with the ULA Events and Program Coordinator Heather McEwen to make that happen.
“It was so incredible to see how many members of the community came to help out,” Foutz said. “We had volunteers of all ages and backgrounds.”
Volunteer Coordinator for CUV, Sang McCall, said that she was amazed at how many came out to help.
“At the original site we had 28 people (including) many students, a few couples and families and some who came solo,” McCall said. “Everyone spread out far and found a number of larger items like car parts and metal plus enough trash to fill 5 large bags,” adding that many came from Draper, Eagle Mountain, Highland and other local cities.
“Everyone stayed happy and motivated and some willingly got wet and muddy!” she continued.
Foutz wanted to make sure the volunteers got a nice treat for their efforts, and The Donut Run in Spanish Fork stepped in to make that happen by donating donuts.
“It’s worth mentioning that The Donut Run in Spanish Fork ‘donut-ed,’ I mean donated, those really nice variety packs of donuts,” McCall said.
As part of the event, McCall said that the group she was a part of, held a “gratitude circle” as they reflected on the land around them. McCall also said that it gave them the chance to remind each person what a difference they made just by showing up.
“People share(d) gratitude for nature and for the chance to come together, saying how every little bit of effort makes such a difference,” McCall said.
700 Pounds of Trash Removed Across Three Sites
At Sandy Beach, they found many old tires “buried in mud,” Nelson said that the volunteers in her group also noted how peaceful the area was, and what a great opportunity it was to serve the community as a group.
“We had eight volunteers; a group of great guys and girls who came from Pleasant Grove to clean the lake shore,” Nelson said. “The group found 11 tires — some buried in mud. They had fun and got dirty and rolled tires down the road. They drove a long way but they kept remarking on how peaceful and beautiful the area was and that they wanted to do it again.”
In all, there were 47 volunteers who gave a total of 79 hours of their time to collect more than 700 pounds of trash.
“The 700 pounds of trash we collected is an incredible physical representation of this community’s desire to respect, restore, and relate to our landscape,” Foutz said.
Nelson expressed some dismay at the amount of trash and gave a word of caution.
“Please be part of the solution; don’t leave trash behind when you go to the lake or any other outdoor area,” Nelson said. “If it’s too costly to take tires to the transfer station, figure out another way to recycle them. Don’t throw them in the lake! If you see trash, haul it out with you whether it’s yours or not.”
Protecting Utah Valley’s Natural Treasures
Conserve Utah Valley formed as a non-profit organization nearly five years ago on the heels of helping to save Bridal Veil Falls from privatization. The organization came when several residents expressed concern that there wasn’t a group in the valley to watch out for and protect valuable land and water, Nelson said.
“We aren’t against development,” Nelson points out. “We just want to make sure that precious areas are kept free from development because the mountains, canyons, trails and water are why many people move here — to recreate and enjoy these treasures.”
CUV worked with a coalition of groups to stop development in the middle of Utah Lake. The group has also worked with community leaders to put areas into conservation easements which protects the land in perpetuity.
“CUV has supported more than a dozen worthy projects and we’ve been a part of more than 65 community events,” Nelson said. “This valley is precious and there are beautiful areas worth preserving for us here and now and for future generations.”
To learn more about or donate to Conserve Utah Valley go to www.conserveutahvalley.org. For more information, email kaye@conserveutahvalley.org.
By Conserve Utah Valley
