National River Clean Up

There are over 50 miles of shoreline in the Rio Grande Valley State Park.  During the year trash accumulates along the riverbanks and in the Bosque and contaminates the water, shoreline and wildlife habitats.

Each May the City of Albuquerque Open Space Division, American Rivers and several local organizations host National River Cleanup Day.

National River Cleanup was started in 1992 by America Outdoors, a national association of outfitters and guides, and American Rivers, a North American conservation organization, as a way to assist local communities to keep their rivers, watersheds and shorelines clean.

RIVER CLEANUP 2010: 

Check back in early 2010 for more details.

WHEN: May 15th 2010 from 8:00 AM until 1:00 PM. 

WHERE: Event Hub is the Northwest side of the Central Avenue Bridge. Parking is available at the BioPark at Central and Tingley Drive. See below for more details

Pre-registration begins April at REI. Call 247-1191 to register or stop by 1550 Mercantile Ave.

Bring work gloves, water, appropriate clothes and sun protection. 

We reward our volunteers with morning refreshments, an after event BBQ and a donated prize drawing!

RIVER CLEANUP ACTIVITIES:

1.  Cleanup at the Central Avenue Bridge:  There will be cleanup activities for all ages on the northwest side of the Central Avenue Bridge including trash pickup and graffiti removal.

2. Float the river in one of our rafts:  Kirtland Outdoor Recreation will provide guided rafts that help remove trash from the river starting from Montaño Blvd and arriving at Central in time for the BBQ.  Rafts are on a first come first serve basis and space is limited. 

3. Bring your own boat:  People with their own rafts, kayaks, and canoes are encouraged to attend.   If you plan on bringing your own raft, REI will have instructions to the launch site when you pre-register or call 452-5216.   We will provide shuttles for boaters from Central Ave. back to the launch point at Montaño Blvd.   Volunteers who bring their own boats must follow all State regulations for boaters.  Call State Parks at (505) 476-3355 for more information. 

4. Organize your own cleanup:  Have a favorite area of the Bosque? Consider hosting a River Cleanup of your own!  The Open Space Division will supply trash bags, courtesy of America Outdoors, and we’ll dispose of the collected trash.   Call 452-5216 for more information.

For more information please contact Jim Sattler or Kent Swanson at 452-5200 or email kswanson@cabq.gov

National River Cleanup is sponsored in part by the City of Albuquerque Open Space Division, Adobe Whitewater Club, West Central Alliance of Neighborhoods (WeCAN), the Rotary Club of Albuquerque, Kirtland Air Force Base Outdoor Recreation, and the Open Space Alliance.

Many visitors to the Rio Grande Valley State Park do their part to pick up trash in the bosque, but not everyone has gotten the message that trash has its place, and it's not in Open Space!  As our city grows, citizen stewardship of the river becomes more and more important.  National River Cleanup is a great way to concentrate our efforts and beautify the Rio Grande!

National River Cleanup Day 2009 a great success!

The event was attended by approximately 132 volunteers. Volunteers worked on the Northeast side of the Central Avenue Bridge and many floated down the river in rafts cleaning up trash from the Montano Bridge to the Central Avenue Bridge.

The Bosque del Rio Neighborhood Assocation organized their own cleanup near Montano and a group of National Hispanic Cultural Center docents and friends cleaned the Bosque near Bridge Blvd.

In total volunteers collected about 300 bags of garbage, 20 bags of recyclable materials, and miscellaneous garbage including tires, chairs, and even an old bowling ball from several different sites in the bosque.

Thanks to our generous sponsors for making this event possible!

Sofia’s Place

Albuquerque Rotary Club

Open Space Alliance

West Central Alliance of Neighborhoods

Kirtland Airforce Base Outdoor Recreation

I Scream Ice Cream

REI

Fat Tire Cycle

Los Poblanos Organics

Rio Grande Community Farm

Trader Joe's

Open Space wishes to thank everyone who helped make this day such a success, especially our volunteers! 

A special thanks is extended to Kirtland Airforce Base’s Outdoor Recreation Services and their crews for bringing the rafts, equipment and expertise to make this event possible.  

The magnitude of the event would not have been possible without the help of the Adobe Whitewater Club of New Mexico, the Albuquerque Police and Fire Departments, National Hispanic Cultural Center Docents, the Rotary Club of Albuquerque, and the West Central Alliance of Neighbors (WeCAN). 

We'll see you next year!