Arkansas Canoe Club Forums

Anyone have any suggestions as to how we can encourage better trash pickup and/or larger/more trash cans or bins at Rockport? Clearly the current situation is not working. Attached are photos taken this morning, including a kayak full of cans I pulled out of the river just below the ledge today. This folks is why we need our current litter laws enforced!

I was at Rockport about 2 weeks ago and noticed the same thing. The bathroom was in a horrible condition and I picked up broken glass from the parking area. We have the same problem in Texas with trash and graffiti on our highway structures. One good option we have found to prevent this is to get local buy-in to the project and building a feeling of ownership of the facilities by the local population. The attached photo is from an overpass we built in Munday, TX. I am not sure if it will show up well in this format, but the red stripes of the flag are actually silhouettes of people that live in Munday. Heaven forbid anyone ever gets caught by the locals defacing this structure, the possessive attitude of the population is amazing. Fostering a positive possessive attitude takes time and dedication, setting a good example is a start. From the looks of your kayak it may be a separate container for recycling aluminum to help pay for park maintenance might help.

As long as people can throw trash on the ground without anyone saying something, it is hard to change that attitude.
Thanks for picking up all the cans. My 2 cents.

What a shame! Noah and I were at Rockport last Friday for a great float with Jim, Marlo and others. Since I knew it would be busy and I was pulling a trailer, we arrived early to get a straight slot for the trailer. Noah and I spent about 30 minutes just picking up trash at the ledge. Then during the float, Noah made a point to gather every can, plastic, and other trash he could find. I smiled hugely when he made the comment, "Mom, Cowper would be so proud, wouldn't he?" Our rivers will only be as beautiful as we keep them.

Gordon,

Since I'm one of the downriver-types, I can also report a pretty good amount of trash at the Remmel Dam ramp and gravel bar on a continuing basis as well. First thing I noticed when I carried my kayak to the ramp to launch on Friday was where one person had stripped all of packaging from their Wal-Mart purchases and just left them in a pile, included for our pleasure, were two baby wipes and two dirty diapers... They were nice enough to leave me the plastic bag to sack it all up in.
With the river level varying so much at the put-in, there is really no hope of having a trash container there, we can just pick it up as we can and haul it up to the powerhouse where we park. Entergy keeps one trash can up there.
Down at the WW park, take-out, your pictures show what it looks like many weekends there. Sometimes, like with this longer weekend, it is certainly worse. Also worse when groups reserving the pavilion for birthdays, weddings, etc., etc., don't do their part and haul their trash on home instead of overburdening the already slim resources there.

Jim

Nice work Gordon. I hope this is brought to Malvern's attention. Perhaps an official clean-up day/float involving the city might be in order for Remmel to Rockport?

Hand out bags at the put in, educate, then get a 2hr shift from the Law Man to enforce randomly on the weekend. Tell the folks it's gonna be enforced and then check with Malvern about increased capacity since I know they aren't going to pick up on the weekend.

The club could put up a sheltered info board at the put in with some litter bags and educational campaign. If you change their mind you change their behavior not just at Rockport.

-Richard

I keep a roll of "Don't Mess With Texas" trash bags IN my truck wherever I go. I can appreciate your kayak full of trash. It may not SEEM like you are making a difference, but leaving it clean DOES show at least some of the folks that the area is to be respected and they'll respond in kind. There are certain types you can't fix no matter what.
I picked up trash at a public access area in Oklahoma one cold morning. It is a BIG public access, but NOT maintained by OSRC. I noticed the trash was 'staying the same' and only slightly growing each weekend, so I did an experiment. On a Sunday morning I picked up "5" large 'Texas size' bags of trash and dropped them at the entrance on Highway 10. Sure enough, 6 months later and that public access is still looking 90% fantastic. So basically, a few bad weekends of partying trashed the entire area [my theory], so those that came after had no respect for that area and continued to add to the problem. After I cleaned it...the clean stayed for the most part. Again, there were isolated "dummy dumps" here and there, but NOTHING like before.
Good job to everybody who "bags more than they brought". It makes a difference and sets an example for others watching. Bravo!

Gordon,

I meant to ask when I saw you Sunday, "What % of those cans appeared to be spills of empties while running the ledge?"

I went back to the WW Park boat ramp this morning to put-in and fish over by Porterfields. All the trash in the overflowing can at the bottom of the ramp from the weekend was gone. When the park was created, there were one or two cans half-way down the sidewalk, another at the corner of the sidewalk and the ramp, and another at the top of the ramp. For the last few years, the only can in those areas is down at the bottom of the ramp. I couldn't be more pleased that this one remaining can is emptied by the sanitation folks when they are on duty, however I also agree, we certainly need several more to help with the larger usage/ enjoyment of the area!
The can that used to be at the top of the ramp was contained in a nice lattice-work holder, like the lower one still is. It was hit with a car or ball bat early on and the city must have removed it shortly thereafter. I would like to see two or three large cans at the lower ramp for sure to handle the increased amount of trash.

Best Regards
Jim

Gordon Kumpuris wrote: This folks is why we need our current litter laws enforced!

I would also say: "This folks is why we need a container deposit law!"

justanovice wrote:Then during the float, Noah made a point to gather every can, plastic, and other trash he could find. I smiled hugely when he made the comment, "Mom, Cowper would be so proud, wouldn't he?"

Please tell Noah that he is absolutely correct, I am very proud of him! It is a great thing whenever we can do something to have a positive influence on the next generation.

I would e-mail the photos to the mayor, park department or who ever is over the park. Also to media... the trash is not left by kayakers alone... not enough of us for all that.

I would also plan a trash pickup day & invite the media to cover it...

Might or might not do any good.

Man, a container deposit law is long overdue. Still bring that up every time I see anybody in government in this state.

Pack it in pack it out, if everyone did this then there would be no trash.