MRWTA/USACE Water Trail Cleanup and Cert. Training

MRWTA/US ACE trail site maintenance

Wednesday March 13, 2024, 10am – 1pm (Central Time)

Want to Help Maintain the Mississippi River Water Trail?

MRWTA partners with the US Army Corps of Engineers Rivers Project Office and the American Canoe Association to develop and maintain a Water Trail along the Mississippi River. The Trail creates a corridor for paddlers of all ages to get to know the River.  In 2023, MRWTA was awarded a “Partner Excellence Award” from USACE for its work.

MRWTA helps manage a 121-mile section of the Trail that runs from the Saverton Lock and Dam below Hannibal to St. Louis. The stretch includes 27 primitive campsites.  Volunteers are needed to help USACE audit and address cleanup at these sites, replace signage and update the website. Equipment will be supplied (and volunteers will be trained) by USACE.

To volunteer, contact Larry Hassel at martinhassel@att.net ASAP.

First outing (will include training) on March 13^th, 10 AM start (Some flexibility if multiple conflicts) at Alton Lake Access Area, water trail site 26-20

Directions: Off of 94 in West Alton, MO. Located at the end of Harbor Point Road, near the intersection with S Lakeshore Drive. For GPS, you can navigate to the Harbor Point Yacht Club, but continue on Harbor Point Road instead of turning in towards the gated club.

This is a land accessible site that needs a lot of work>  it is a good venue to check people off for training and get into it a bit with hanging signs and cleaning up trash. We recommend wearing good work boots and dressing for the weather. We will be providing PPE and equipment (hearing, eyes, gloves, thick puncture resistant trash bags, tools, etc.) but participants are encouraged to bring water, snack, or anything that they would want for comfort. Depending on time and interest we could go slightly up river to hit a few more (dresser, spatterdock).

Contact martinhassel@att.net for an Activity Hazards Analysis.  Not everyone needs to be comfortable doing everything on it, but it tries to get an all-encompassing list together of what can be involved on these water trail work days.  Please take some time to review it beforehand because it’s a lot of reading.  Volunteer agreements will be on site to fill out if you do not have one already on file.