I've been loyally throwing my trash in rivers for years, and now this guy is out here undoing all my hard work. The Boise River is more full of litter than you would imagine, but one man has dedicated his summers to getting the waterway clean again.
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The Boise River is a popular spot for swimming, bathing, and having a nice float when the weather allows. Chris Nelson and the Boise River Volunteers are the unpaid heroes who clean it up after the revelries. Every summer weekend for 13 years he dons a swimsuit and snorkel and gets to clearing trash from the Boise River.
With a raft floating behind him and a 23-pound weight around his waist, he will often spend six hours collecting trash. "As far as I know, I'm the only nut that swims the whole stretch," he tells the Boise State Public Radio News. He gets a fair few stares for his efforts too.
While cleaning up the Boise River he finds some real treasure. He has found all sorts during his time in the deep. At one point, he even found a set of chef knives. When asked how he thought they got there, he had his speculations. "Yes, we've speculated on how that got in there. We thought possibly a culinary arts student got angry with Mom and Dad, bagged the class, and tossed the knives in the river. I dunno, but I posted them and nobody ever claimed them so I used them at home."
The Boise River Clean-Up Is An Uphill Struggle
As of late, the quality of the water in the Boise River has been dramatically declining. Liz Paul, a woman who works for Idaho Rivers United took a trip there recently. "Garbage, and garbage, and garbage just strewn up and down the river on that Barber-to-Boise reach."
This is due to a drop in helping hands. The usual leader of the Boise River Volunteers has taken a job somewhere else in the summer, and the group is struggling. The numbers have dropped, and funding has disappeared.
But, Chris Nelson isn't about to give up. Despite there usually being about 15 of them clearing from Friday through to Sunday he seems to be the only one still doing it. Usually, he says "We'll pick up enough to fill your living room twice over every weekend. It's just amazing how much piles up."
But now it's down to him alone. Underfunded and overwhelmed. If you see him out there, maybe think about giving him a hand.
