This year’s cleanups include multiple options: public group cleanups, private organization or business cleanups, and DIY cleanups that you and your family or friends can pull together whenever if fits your schedule. It’s a fun and easy way to get outside near the water and help the Spokane River.

For all the cleanups, the two non-profits provide supplies, guidance, and trash disposal. Last year 1,000 volunteers removed over 25,000 pounds of trash and litter. 

Upcoming public cleanup projects for 2022 include:

• June 25: University District/Downtown Spokane
• June 25: Mission Park
• Sept 17: Spokane Valley

Private Groups & DIY

People can also collaborate with the Spokane Riverkeeper to schedule a private cleanup event for a specific group (e.g. school, church, or business), or to organize a Do It Yourself (DIY) cleanup, such as for families and informal small groups. Spokane Riverkeeper lead these private cleanups, and provide supplies and disposal.

Learn more and sign-up at Spokaneriver.net.

Find stories about the Spokane River and Spokane Riverkeeper organization in the OTO archives.

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For 2021, there are three ways volunteers can get help pick up trash along the river, says Jule Schultz with Spokane Riverkeeper: public clean-up events, DIY group events, and business/civic group events.

First, there’s the first big public clean-up event that’s scheduled (with COVID safety protocols in place) on Saturday May 8 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. That kickoff event will be followed by four additional public trash pickup days:

• June 19 at Mission Park
• July 10 at Peoples’ Park
• August 21 in the University District
• September 18 in Spokane Valley

River clean-ups are great for removing litter, but they are also a great opportunity to educate people about other threats to the river, says Schultz. “We are seeing more and more interest in the Spokane River and protecting it than we ever have before.”

Also new this year, Spokane Riverkeeper is encouraging individuals to partner with them to schedule their own DIY river cleanup events with friends and family members whenever it’s convenient. You will be responsible for rallying the volunteer labor, and Spokane Riverkeeper will recommend a trash pickup location and provide the trash pickers, bags, and gloves. And when you’re finished cleaning up your area, they will haul away the trash bags.

Businesses and civic groups can also work with the Riverkeeper to set up a private group river clean-up event.

For more information or to sign up, visit Spokanerivercleanup.org.

[Photos courtesy of Spokane Riverkeeper.]

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“Our location is at the Red Lion Templin’s Hotel, right on the river,” says Cara Quien, owner of Fun Unlimited with her husband Keith. “It is a really sweet spot, and we are in a no-wake zone.” For beginner paddlers and families with kids, this is good news. “We are right behind the dam,” says Quien, “so there is no current. It’s not like the wild open Coeur d’Alene Lake, which is choppy and windy and has boat traffic. It’s really peaceful and calm, and it’s a great experience for first-timers.”

The Quiens originally opened Fun Unlimited in 2012 with the vision of it being a club membership where people could pay a monthly fee and get unlimited use of the “toys” that were available for rent. “My husband is very much the entrepreneur,” says Quien, “and has always wanted to own a business. We sat down at the kitchen table and talked about it, and I said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it!’”

In the beginning, they stocked snowmobiles, ATVs, bikes, jet skis – all the usual suspects. Then this husband-and-wife team ended up falling in love with watersports. Now they exclusively offer SUP boards, kayaks, and jet skis, and paddleboarding is probably their favorite. “Paddleboarding is not one of those intimidating sports,” says Quien. “We have six-year-olds who come and do it. We had a 76-year-old who came last summer and she was standing!”

While inflatable SUP boards have always been a part of the Quiens’ lineup, they have decided to only stock inflatable boards starting this season. Over time, they have observed that the solid core fiberglass or hard plastic boards don’t hold up to the river rocks, especially when hundreds of people are renting them every day. “The inflatable boards are much more durable. A lot of folks like to rent them and take them places,” says Quien. Fun Unlimited includes paddles, a pump, and instructions on how to inflate the boards with every rental. And they design their own boards. Their production company, Stillwater Paddleboards, is small but dedicated to making dependable SUP equipment. “Our boards are very, very stable,” Quien says, “and there is space and two handles where a small child can sit cross-legged on the front.”

This summer, they will also bring their SUP boards and kayaks to Washington, providing rentals at the new Downtown Spokane River Access Point directly under the Division Street Bridge. Last September, Keith and Cara took an end-of-the-day paddle from this spot to No-Li Brewhouse to test the waters and explore the opportunities. “The water was like glass,” recalls Cara. “We had the idea [to set up at the access] before that night, but once we did the paddle, that was all we could think about. It’s a great river.”

As they continue to expand, their desire is to stay personable and family-friendly, and to share their love of SUP with anyone who is willing to give it a try. They currently sell season passes for both locations, and opening a spot in Coeur d’Alene is on their wishlist for the future. For now, Fun Unlimited will continue to be an outstanding place to introduce families and individuals to the water, regardless of experience and skill level. //

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Last year, 800 volunteers collected eight tons of debris from along the banks of the Spokane River, and recycled two tons of it. In addition to our longstanding tradition of
work in the Spokane River Gorge, this year we’ve added a second location in the University District.

If you simply want to participate in the clean up, please preregister at friendsofthefalls.org.

The Spokane River Clean-Up needs volunteers for key positions that make the event possible. To volunteer for any of the roles described below, please call Stephen Barbieri at (509) 953-6437 or Steve Faust at (509) 981-6296.

Team Leaders (70): On September 26, from 8:30 – 12:30: supervise a team of about 30 people within their assigned area, helping to make sure volunteers follow guidelines for handling recyclables, flag and call–in trash that needs special handling, and make sure trash is left only in the designated pick up areas. Familiarity with the outdoors is a plus. Basic first-aid knowledge is helpful, but not required.

Team leaders must attend an orientation meeting a few days before the clean up
(Sept 23, 6 p.m., at WSU’s “Bookie”), where we review the overall plan and
discuss guidelines for handling trash and recyclables, and dealing with hazards.
Then we work together to assemble the gear bags that are distributed to
volunteers on the morning of September 26. This meeting will last about 2 hours.
Parking Attendants (3): On September 26, from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m., greet cleanup
participants as they park in the west lot at Spokane Falls Community College
and provide each participant with a free bus pass for the STA shuttle. Participate
in the clean up from 10 – noon if desired. Attendance at the September 23
orientation meeting is optional.

Baristas (4): On September 26, beginning at 7:15 a.m., through 10 a.m., help
brew and serve Thomas Hammer coffee in High Bridge Park. As the day
progresses, we may ask you to monitor the bike corral or help out with other
tasks – or you can participate in the clean up from 10 – noon. Attendance at the
September 23 orientation meeting is optional.

Take Down Crew (4): On September 26, from about 2 – 3 p.m., help clean up
after the clean up! Working in either High Bridge Park or the U District, take down
chairs and tables, load unused supplies, etc. Attendance at the September 23
orientation meeting is optional.

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