Cannon River Watershed-Wide Cleanup
For over 15 years, we’ve brought together communities across the Cannon River Watershed to clean up area parks, rivers, and lakes at our largest annual volunteer event of the year.
Sign Up Today (Coming Soon)
We achieve this by partnering with local organizations and recruiting volunteers to dedicate their time and effort to removing litter from these areas, including items such as car seats, tires, lawn chairs, mattresses, food wrappers, clothing, and more. By connecting the community to the watershed, we can inspire a sense of responsibility towards our environment, empowering us to keep the water healthy and clean.
Be a River Friendly Neighbor (T-shirt Sale)
Show your commitment to protecting the Cannon River with our exclusive
“Be a River Friendly Neighbor” t-shirt! This slogan was part of our logo in 1997 to encourage everyone to take responsibility for protecting local waters.
When you purchase a t-shirt, you’re not just getting a great shirt—you’re supporting the 17th annual Cannon River Watershed-Wide Cleanup (save the date - Saturday, September 13) and helping Clean River Partners expand our impactful work.
Join us in wearing this shirt during the Cleanup and proudly represent our mission to safeguard our rivers. Together, we can make a difference! The artwork for this campaign was created by Ava McQuain, our Community-Based Work Study rockstar from Carleton College.
The Results: What We’ve Accomplished
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Volunteer Engagement
Each year, we’re delighted to have between 150 and 300 volunteers join us for a rewarding afternoon of community service.
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Trash Collected
Since our first event in 2009, we’ve proudly collected over 100,000 pounds of trash, leaving our environment cleaner and healthier.
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Sites Across the Watershed
We love hosting our cleanup sites across the watershed, including places like Red Wing, Northfield, Faribault, Waterville, and more.
Story Spotlight: Fifteen Years of ‘Leaving It Better’ in Medford
For over a decade, Carla and Byron Brady have been at the forefront of the Cannon River Watershed-Wide Cleanup, sharing their passion for the river and encouraging countless community members to get involved. As site leaders for the Medford area, they’ve left a lasting mark on both the Straight River and its supporters. Their journey began in 2009, the inaugural year of the cleanup initiative, and after an incredible fifteen years, they’re ready to close this chapter in 2024.
What’s Next?
Our goal is to expand the cleanup efforts into more communities along the watershed, reaching a broader audience and making a more significant impact toward a cleaner and healthier environment. We also aim to cover parts of the shoreline that are often neglected and not easily accessible, ensuring that all areas of the watershed are taken care of and kept clean, leaving no part of our environment behind.
Are you interested in hosting a site?
Reach out to our team! Contact details are listed below.
Questions?
Contact Heron Mahr (they/them), our
Community Engagement Manager
heron@cleanriverpartners.org
(507) 200-0502
We’re grateful for our funders, event sponsors, and partners!
