Annual cleanup helps shoreline shine

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SANDPOINT — There have been old tires, a horseshoe and a chunk of old carpet.

Drill batteries and assorted plastic bits and cans also have been pulled from the muds along the shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille and Sand Creek during the Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper's annual shoreline cleanup.

"I think tires are one of the like, worst things that I've seen," Carolyn Knaack, LPOW associate director, said. "I saw a picture, I think in the Bee, of Phil Hough with a lucky horseshoe. I think I've seen like drill batteries, a giant piece of carpet, all sorts of weird things."

The cleanup is a way for LPOW to connect with the community and a way for the community to connect with the local environment, Knaack said.

"It's to kind of engage with our community and to encourage them to come together within the community and care for our natural resources," she told the Daily Bee. "We do it because it's really good way to appreciate your lake and do a small thing that really does make an impact on preserving our natural ecosystems."

The event is also a great way for area residents to meet others interested in caring for the lake, Knack said. She said she loves being able to host the event, and speak with community members, something the COVID-19 pandemic has limited.

"I really love meeting new people and thanking them directly for volunteering with us because as a nonprofit, we really depend on volunteer support and help," Knaack said. "It's just really great to see people come up and you know, they're like, 'Well, you know, it's such a small thing to do.' But it really means a lot to us to see how many people turn out and work together to make a difference."

While only the second community-wide event she has hosted since joining Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper, Knaack said she has been able to hold smaller events for business unable to turn out on a Saturday, among them Evans Brothers, Pend d'Oreille Winery and Wildflower Spa at the Seasons.

"I really love doing that. And I really would like to work with more businesses to kind of do you know, spot cleanups around the lake," said Knaack.

Based at City Beach, the cleanup focuses attention on the area and nearby shorelines, including up to the Pend Oreille Bay Trail and Dog Beach, Knaack said. One of the most popular beaches in the region, the central location makes it a great spot for the cleanup and helps give them an idea of what LPOW is all about, she said before breaking away to welcome a family to the cleanup.

"It's so great to see you guys," Knaack greets them before giving them a rundown of where the cleanup area is and offering a few words of advice and tips.

"Walk along the shoreline but be careful, it's pretty muddy," she told them. "You can walk up the shoreline over to the marina over there. It's also really muddy, but you might you never know what treasures you might find from people's boats."

She cautioned them about picking up anything sharp and said pet waste and goose poop could be left alone. Knaack them pointed them to where yellow and black plastic bags were located as well as gloves before a few members of the family grabbed a donut for the road.

For Ida Gaddess, taking part in the annual cleanup meant taking a break from her birthday weekend being spent with her family at the Edgewater. An artist, the youth is animal lover who cares about the environment. During visits to City Beach, she said the family has seen "a lot of trash" and wanted to do something to help out.

"I wanted to do something for everybody and everything like fish and animals and people, too," Gaddess said.