COLUMBUS, Ohio — A littered portion of the Scioto River has been cleaned up, thanks to work from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Department of Transportation and the City of Columbus through the governor’s H2Ohio Rivers Program.
“Collaborative cleanup projects like this one are exactly what the H2Ohio Rivers Program is all about,” said Gov. Mike DeWine in a press release. “We all have a stake in making sure Ohio’s waterways are free from litter and trash so we can have abundant clean water resources for future generations.”
The almost-two-dozen people who helped clean the river Thursday did so underneath the Frank-Refugee Expressway in Columbus. According to the ODNR, this is an area where trash accumulates from flooding and water runoff.
ODNR said thousands of pieces of litter were removed during this cleanup. ODOT used their knuckleboom crane to remove large pieces.
“Collaboration with our partners is what makes the huge projects possible,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “The H2Ohio River Program is valuable part of the ODNR and H2Ohio’s mission in conserving and protecting water for everyone in the state.”
According to the H2Ohio website, the Rivers Program received an investment of $47 million for fiscal year 2024-2025 and includes efforts such as deteriorating dam removal, a statewide aquatic species survey, land conservation and more.
“This collaborative cleanup complements the city’s recent Scioto Sweep annual cleanup, when volunteers collected tons of trash and litter from the Scioto River and its banks,” said Director Kelly Scocco of the Columbus Department of Public Service. “These efforts move us closer to achieving the city’s Climate Action Plan goals for the well-being of all our residents.”