Volunteers needed for community cleanup on Black River this Saturday

Anyone looking to lend a hand cleaning up the Black River this weekend will have a couple places to jump in.

In part hosted by the Black River Boat Club, the cleanup is slated to run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, with volunteers gathering at the Riverside Boat Launch in Port Huron or at Bakersfield Park in Port Huron Township.

According to a flyer for the event, anyone with a boat, dinghy, kayak, or anyone on land is welcome to help, and a party is set to be held for volunteers at the boat club, 4045 Strawberry Lane, afterward.

“It’s no secret that I believe that boating is huge for the city of Port Huron,” said resident Scott Farquhar, who first brought the cleanup idea to City Council members early this year.

Jokingly the self-appointed mayor of the Black River, he cited the water and the city as a point of pride when asked about the motivation for the cleanup in an interview this week.

“Without a cleanup like that, those people that have had accidents with their boats or have lost money, they won’t come to the area because there’s just so much garbage. And of course, the environmental (part is important. But) if it doesn’t get taken out, no one takes responsibility,” Farquhar said. “… There isn’t any government funding or government organization that takes claim to it. They’ll grab a great big log coming down, but some of that stuff has been stuck in the river for years. And I’m not saying we’re going to get every bit out. But every little bit helps. It’s great for the community. It’s the waterway. That’s what we are.”

Farquhar said they’ve already gotten plenty of help from local business and community leaders in the run up to the cleanup in addition to the township and the city.

Councilman Conrad Haremza has also helped organize volunteers for Saturday. As of Wednesday, he said he expected close to 40 people and 15 boats.

“We knew it’s been an issue in the past as far as debris in the river. And we’re like, if we could get this done before the summer, it would be great,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, there’s still going to be debris, but if we can just get a few rocks, anything out of there, it’ll be really good.”

It also wouldn’t have to be the last cleanup of the season. Pointing to the approaching 100th anniversary of the Port Huron-to-Mackinac Island sailboat race this July, Haremza said he’s learned a bit more about organizing cleanups, what the local assets are, and who to contact to set up another.

“So, everything goes smoothly Saturday, we’ll probably do it maybe a week before the Mackinac race,” the councilman said, “and I just figure then you have less stuff to pick up.”

Farquhar, a member and past commodore at the Black River Boat Club, said he also hopes it becomes an annual effort for the community.

A few years ago, just as COVID descended local communities into uncertainty, he said he first tried to resurrect the community river cleanup he recalled seeing each year as a kid.

“I’m 58 years old. With my dad, it was an annual thing the Black River cleanup. And it was a great big (gathering). I mean, lots of people, and the city was involved and the rest of it,” Farquhar said. “So, we were trying to get it going. Then, this year with the flood (in January), I went to the (city) board. … I said, ‘Now’s the time to take it to the city. This is what we’re going to do. We want you guys to be involved.’”

Farquhar said they’ll be looking for what he called “deadheads” — or “things that are stuck or are sticking out” of the water.

Typically, organizers said that can mean removing garbage, logs, and other debris that interferes with navigating the Black River and canal. The 12th Street Boat Launch is also a drop off location.

“We’re hoping it’ll get bigger and bigger every year,” Farquhar said.

Volunteers could sign up with Haremza at (810) 278-0599, according to the cleanup flyer.

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Volunteers needed for community cleanup on Black River this Saturday