Public Invited To Wenatchee River Cleanup And Celebration

The public is invited to a cleanup effort on the Wenatchee River next Saturday - Aug. 5. It'll be the first event of its kind since 2014. 

Anyone can participate in the cleanup, either from the shore at Riverfront Park in Cashmere, or in a raft on the river. 

Chelan County spokesperson Jill FitzSimmons says there'll be two rafts with professional guides floating in two different sections of the river. 

"You do have to pre-register for the rafting one, and I would suggest if you really want to have some fun and help us out, I would go to that link that we have at Eventbrite and get registered," said FitzSimmons. "And you do not have to get registered if you are coming to join us along the shoreline." 

One raft will float the river from Dryden to Cashmere while the other one will start in Cashmere and continue to Monitor. 

The Cashmere-to-Monitor float will be more family friendly. Both floating groups will meet at 9:30 a.m., gathering at put-in locations. 

A prize will be awarded to the participants in the raft which collects the most garbage and debris from the river. 

Action Rafting Company and River Recreation Washington Whitewater Rafting Company are partnering to help with the rafting cleanup. 

FitzSimmons says the gathering is being held for two reasons. 

“It’s really kind of fun,” FitzSimmons said. “It serves two purposes. We’re going to clean up the river. And we’re going to introduce people and show people that river recreation is for everyone in our community.” 

There'll be nine local vendors set up in the park that support healthy rivers in the area. 

Among them are the National Audubon Society, Wenatchee Valley Fly Fishers, Wenatchee Row & Paddle Club, CAFÉ, Wenatchee River Institute, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust and the Indigenous Roots and Reparation Foundation. 

At the end of their cleanup efforts, all volunteers will gather for a community appreciation celebration. 

There'll be free food along with entertainment from mariachi bands and folklorico dance groups. 

The celebration is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Riverfront Park at 210 Riverside Drive in Cashmere. 

The cleanup is being hosted by the Chelan County Department of Natural Resources and Parque Padrinos of Wenatchee and is being paid for by a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology. 

Registration for the rafting cleanup is here.