Iowa Department of Natural Resources Environmental Services Division For Immediate Release June 10, 2008 DNR’S ANNUAL RIVER CLEANUP EVENT POSTPONED DUE TO FLOODING MEDIA CONTACT: Brian Soenen, DNR, [log in to unmask] or (515) 205-8587. DES MOINES — Rising floodwaters have led the DNR to postpone its annual river cleanup event, Project AWARE, originally scheduled for June 14 to 21. The cleanup event was scheduled to pull trash out of the Winnebago, Shell Rock and Cedar rivers from Mason City to Cedar Falls. All five counties AWARE planned to pass through – Black Hawk, Bremer, Butler, Cerro Gordo and Floyd – have been declared disaster areas by Governor Culver. “For the safety of our participants, who canoe and wade these rivers to pull out trash, we’ve made the decision to postpone AWARE until later this summer,” said Brian Soenen, Project AWARE coordinator. “Our thoughts and best wishes go out to those people and communities affected by the flooding and we hope that the waters recede soon so the long cleanup process can begin.” Since the first Project AWARE in 2003, the event has never been postponed or cancelled. “We have always made plans for alternative options should conditions along the AWARE route be too dangerous,” said Jackie Gautsch, a natural resource biologist with the DNR’s IOWATER program. “But none of us were prepared for the onslaught of weather that has descended on Iowa this past month.” A new date has not been set yet, but Project AWARE staff hopes to make that decision in the next week or two. The cleanup event will likely be held after Aug. 1 to allow the rivers to settle back into normal flows. “We encourage everyone who had already registered for AWARE, as well as anyone else interested, to participate in the rescheduled event – after these floods, cleanup efforts may be even more crucial as receding floodwaters reveal debris and trash left behind in their wake,” said Soenen. Project AWARE, or A Watershed Awareness River Expedition, is the DNR’s annual weeklong river cleanup event. Hundreds of Iowans volunteer a day to an entire week paddling Iowa rivers, pulling trash as they go. Participants also learn about water quality, wildlife conservation, recycling and other natural resource topics. Writer: Jessie Brown -30- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/