Help clean up the Schuylkill River on Aug. 2

The Greater Pottstown Watershed Alliance will be sponsoring a cleanup of the Schuylkill River on Saturday, August 2.

The group will paddle boats from the North Coventry boat ramp to Tow Path Park picking up all the trash and tires it can fit into the boats.

All boats that can navigate the river from North Coventry to Tow Path Park are welcome to join in the fun, says Bill Cannon, president of the Alliance.

"We always run out of space in the boats before we run out of trash, so we need all the help we can get." Cannon says.

Volunteers will meet at the Norco boat ramp (off Hanover Street) at 8 a.m. and can expect to be finished around 1 p.m. The Alliance is coordinating with East Coventry and North Coventry to handle the transportation of the debris volunteers pull out.

If you can't participate in the "on water" cleanup, you can help by shuttling paddlers back to the Norco ramp from Tow Path before the group launches, or by helping empty the boats at Tow Path when the cleanup is complete, Cannon says.

Pottstown is the farthest upstream community on the Schuylkill River to get its drinking water from the river. Lets show our down stream neighbors that we care enough to keep the hidden river trash free.

The Alliance has conducted more than 40 cleanups along the river so far.

Anyone interested in helping out is asked to contact Cannon at 610-326-3918 (after 6:30 p.m.)