Spring cleaning is not only in the air, it’s also happening along streams and river.
A local environmental group called Milwaukee Riverkeeper is gearing up to host its 15th annual river clean up this weekend.
What started with a small group tackling the Menomonee River, has grown to 3500 volunteers removing debris from Kewaskum to South Milwaukee.
We meet a site captain who takes his volunteer post on the Milwaukee River seriously.
John Knitter has spent a lifetime on Milwaukee’s rivers.
“This is my river,” Knitter says.
Okay, so the retired UPS truck driver is just a tad territorial.
We meet north of Capitol Drive, behind Channel 4’s tower. It’s a great vantage point to take in the Milwaukee River.
“My grandfather used to bring me down here to catch crayfish for perch fishing down at the lake,” Knitter says.
Below us, a fisherman stands midstream casting his line.
“My grandfather would not believe that we would have fish like that in this river back in the day. We were seeing carp, at best, because the oxygen level was so low. And people still have the impression that the Milwaukee River is totally polluted,” Knitter says.
Knitter says Milwaukee’s rivers have come a long way. Right along this stretch of the Milwaukee River, the 64 year old catches steelhead and salmon, but admits he still spots lots of junk.
“I just noticed the amount of trash that was in it and I thought, I could do something,” Knitter says.
Knitter took to tucking a plastic bag in his back pocket. He fills it each time he’s on this, or any other stream.
Being a one man junk picker upper wasn’t going to be enough, so Knitter’s become a crusader of sorts.
Whatever people throw in this river ends up in the harbor, in Lake Michigan and in our drinking water,” Knitter says.
Every year, Knitter says more people show up to help on clean up weekend. This year, volunteers are tackling more than 100 miles of streams and rivers throughout the Greater Milwaukee area.
Knitter and his fellow crew leaders distribute gloves and plastic bags to their crews.
I ask if people will work in the water.
“Yes, our members will bring weighters along and pickup tools and we’ll actually get in the water and grab things,” Knitter says.
Knitter says while some crew members pull muck out of the rivers, others scour the shore.
“We have to tell the kids not to pick up any needles or anything that looks dangerous. And last year we found a toilet,” Knitter says.
Then there was the parking meter.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper, the group that coordinates the whole cleanup, says previous bounties include a submerged car and countless tires. Volunteers retrieved an old ball and chain, used long ago to restrain convicts.
“Our organization is trying to get youth involved because when I’m gone I hope somebody else steps up to the plate,” Knitter says.
We leave the parking lot and make our way down the steep slope to the river’s edge.
“When you get down here there’s no cars. You’re down at the level of the water and you can see it flowing down toward the lake,” Knitter says.
A pair of mallards skims across the water. Knitter points to a fish jumping to snatch freshly hatched flies.
“It’s something that should be protected. In other countries, water is considered sacred. I think it would be a good way of viewing it here too,” Knitter says.
Knitter may be having more of an impact than he realizes.
Every once and a while, he crosses paths with a college student or two toting their own plastic bags.
“And I said, this isn’t a pickup day. But he said, ‘but I do this because I feel strongly about the environment,’” Knitter says.
Knitter pauses.
“Stanley would love this,” he exclaims.
Knitter’s referring to his grandfather, Stanley Laganowski - the man responsible for Knitter’s love of the river.
Oops sorry, HIS river.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper invites everyone to come out this Saturday for the 15th annual cleanup from 9 am to Noon.
Organizers say, there will be plenty of plastic bags to go around.
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