Allegheny River & Watershed Clean-up Welcome
to the Allegheny River & Watershed Clean-up website!
Due to the many risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, we've decided to POSTPONE the 2020 Allegheny Reservoir Clean-up. We're hopefull that the stars will align and we'll all be able to get out soon. Check back frequently! In the meantime, we do want to encourage you to get out, either by yourself or with others in your household, to do some good out there! Find a place that could use a little love and attention and give it a LOT! Pack a lunch and a bunch of garbage bags and make an afternoon out of it! Once you been out and picked up a bunch of garbage, you can come back here and go to this page and record your accomplishments! We don[t yet have a way to see a summary of what everyone does but, we're working on it and we will. Your data will be there! Thanks!
The 2019 (11th Annual) Allegheny River Clean-up was a fabulous success! More than 300 volunteers enjoyed very pleasant weather over the course of the clean-up. In the end we accumulated more than 130 tires (and some of them were HUGE!), 54 cubic yards of garbage and (with the help of community contributions) 30,000 pounds of recyclable metal. Thanks to all who participated! The watershed and the community are better for your efforts! Also, the new venue for the River Riot was absolutely perfect! Allegheny Outfitters and Bent Run Brewing Company co-hosted the event at their new, adjacent storefronts on Clark Street in Warren. We really want to express a great, big THANKS to both of them!!
The 2019 (15th Annual) Allegheny Reservoir Clean-up took place on Saturday, May 11, 2019 and was a HUGE SUCCESS! After a year of being driven off of
both the Reservoir and the River by terrible weather, we finally got a beautiful
day! It was truly one of those spring days that reminds us why we live, work and
play here. After fifteen years, our work is very evident! The Pennsylvania (southern) portion of the Reservoir is really in great shape. This is the fifth consecutive year that we’ve focused on the New York (northern) portion of the Reservoir and it’s really beginning to show! This year 77 volunteers
spent a beautiful spring day collecting more than 32 cubic yards of trash and
192 tires. Since its inception 1,119 volunteers have donated almost 9,000 hours
collecting 331 cubic yards of garbage and 15,191 tires from the Allegheny Reservoir!
Last year (2018), with hurricane Florence bearing down on the east coast, we were not able to put volunteers out in canoes on the final two days of the cleanup. 'Ideal' water levels for the Allegheny River Cleanup are approximately 2,500 cubic feet / second (cfs) flowing out from Kinzua Dam and, for safety reasons, our very good friends at the US Army Corps of Engineers were not able to accommodate that outflow. Despite
all of that, 143 volunteers still managed to make serious strides into creating
a watershed that is healthier, safer and more enjoyable. In only four days, those
hardy souls donated 1,144 hours removing litter and trash from Pennsylvania's
2017 River of the Year - the Allegheny and Pennsylvania's 2015 River of the Year
- Conewango Creek. In total, over 22,940 lbs. of metal
(easily a River Cleanup record), 29 tires, and 15 cubic yards of trash were collected
and recycled or otherwise properly disposed of. This brought our recycled metal totals to more than
110,849 lbs, garbage to 436 cubic feet and the tire total to more than 1,457 over
10 years!
The 2018 (14th Annual) Allegheny Reservoir Clean-up took place on Saturday, May 12, 2018. Thank you to everyone who contributed to a very memorable 14th Annual ALLEGHENY RESERVOIR CLEANUP. To say it rained a little may be an understatement! The rain was amazing, thunder was awesome and the lightning was a thing to behold! In total, 78 volunteers and employees collected more than 8 cubic yards of trash and 20 tires.
2017 Allegheny Reservoir clean-up The thirteenth annual Allegheny Reservoir
clean-up took place on Saturday, May 13th 2017, and was a huge success! The annual clean-up continues to be a cooperative effort involving
the US Forest Service (USFS), US Army Corps of Engineers, Warren County Adult
Probation and Parole, and numerous other agencies, organizations, and businesses. Again, this year the group was joined by Seneca Nation of Indians and Cattaraugus County's Onoville Marina, who served as hosts for this year's activities and played key roles in making this year's event the smashing success that it was.
2016 Conewango Creek and Allegheny River clean-up The 8th
Annual Conewango Creek and Allegheny River clean-up was a huge success!
(Thanks Grace!)
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This was the fourth
year that the Reservoir clean-up crossed north into New York State and it became
quickly apparent that our efforts are really beginning to show. Thank you to everyone
who contributed to this year's effort. Despite the weather, 92 volunteers and
employees spent a beautiful Saturday collecting more than 50 cubic yards of trash
and 352 tires. 
Now in its thirteenth
year, the positive effects of the annual Reservoir clean-up are very apparent.
As a result of this annual "community conservation event" the shorelines
and waters of the Allegheny Reservoir are much safer and cleaner places for the
wildlife and recreationalists who use them.