We have and will continue to partner with the Missouri River Relief to remove trash from the river. For example, in 2021, 116 volunteers and 29 crew members worked on 12 miles of our riverfront. Over three days, they removed 8.2 tons of trash and 257 large Styrofoam sections.
For these cleanups, Back to the River provides not only funding but our members assisted with boat launching sites, camping facilities, land based trash removal and heavy equipment. Volunteers, however, are the heart of this effort. According to Colby Williams, a 10 year old clean-up participant “We need to protect wildlife. They were here first and then we polluted it, so we need to help clean it up”.
Missouri River Relief is a volunteer based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to connecting people to the Missouri River through volunteer river clean-ups, education and stewardship. We look forward to continuing our partnership with them.
Most Recent Project Partners: The Cities of Council Bluffs and Omaha, P-MRNRD, Nebrasak Game & Parks, USAGE, Missouri Stream Team, Pottawattamie Co. Conversation, Bells Brewing, Hy-Vee, Fontenelle Forest, Union Pacific, Keep Omaha Beautiful, and others.
Estimated Financial Support: Back to the River Contribution: $152,400
Estimated Total Project Cost: $47,500
Years: 2006, 2007,2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2021, 2023
