Arnold Stream Team 211 members and volunteers removed more than 30 tires and 20 cubic yards of trash during its annual winter cleanup, which was held Saturday, March 5, along the Meramec River and other areas around the city.
Brian Waldrop, who co-chairs the Arnold Stream Team with Bernie Arnold, said 54 people took part in the cleanup
“For them to give up their day on a nice, warm Saturday to help the community of Arnold was nice,” he said. “We had people come from Arnold and the surrounding areas.”
The tires and trash were removed from around Arnold City Park, Jeffco Boulevard near the Meramec River, the Flamm City River Access, Arnold Tenbrook and Haag roads, Ferd B. Lang Park and the Ozark Drive Paw Park.
Waldrop said members and volunteers also picked up and discarded about 300 bottles filled with urine that were found along Arnold Tenbrook and Haag roads.
“It is totally disgusting,” he said. “That has to stop. There are trash cans and restrooms. There are other ways to handle this besides rolling down the window and throwing that out. It is not fair to the volunteers, local citizens and the city to have this all over the place.”
Waldrop said the city of Arnold provided a dumpster for the cleanup.
“They have continually supported the Arnold Stream Team 211 and the Missouri Stream Team program. We have helped them, and they have helped us make Arnold, the flood plains and river around here a much better place over the last 30 years.
Another event called Dome Life Stream Team Mid-Meramec River Cleanup is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at Robertsville State Park.
“It will focus on cleaning up a lot of the conservation areas, state parks and river access points between Robertsville State Park at Route 66 State Park,” Waldrop said. “A lot of that will be inside Jefferson County. There will be a band, speakers and food trucks. This will be a huge event.”
For more information about the Dome Life event, go to mostreamteam.org or domelife.camp.
The Arnold Stream Team, which was formed in 1991, typically holds a winter cleanup and a summer cleanup each year.
Waldrop said the summer cleanup is set for Aug. 27 in the city. For more information about the group, go the Arnold Stream Team 211 Facebook page or mostreamteam.org.