Ice Mountain® Water Wizards Clean up Michigan’s Muskegon River

As August works its way to a close, caretakers of Michigan's “Mighty Muskegon,” its tributaries and its more than 2,700 square-acre watershed are completing a month's long duty to take out the trash. The Muskegon River Trash Bash brings together communities and groups of volunteers that pitch in to remove debris from the river and its contributing creeks, streams, and shorelines. 

Among those groups is “Ice Mountain's Water Wizards," who on August 24th manned their canoes and took on nearly six miles of river cleanup.

"We look forward every year to Trash Bash," said Ice Mountain® 100% Natural Spring Water plant manager Mitch Plosz. "It's a great team building day on the river and we do our part to help to sustain the river. The Muskegon River is our backyard and helping to keep it clean comes naturally to us as a supplier of quality drinking water products. We recognize the central role of the river in our community, its culture, recreation, and significance throughout the region."

This is the 12th year of the Muskegon River Trash Bash, an annual family-friendly cleanup event organized by the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly. It’s designed to get people of all ages to pitch in to keep the waterways free from debris. Teams from companies, like Ice Mountain® and many others, families, and local community groups do their part along designated stretches of the river from its northeastern headwaters near Houghton Lake to where it flows into Lake Michigan. 

The Muskegon River Trash Bash started with an idea between community leaders in Evart, Michigan and Ice Mountain's Natural Resource Manager, Arlene Anderson-Vincent. That idea caught hold and continued to grow each year to include more communities and volunteers along the river.

With its leadership, dedication, and coordination powers, the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly has propelled Trash Bash to even greater success. Ever-growing numbers of people are gaining an appreciation and respect for the river and the role clean water plays throughout the watershed. "In ways I never dreamed, and I am so heartened to see,“ said Arlene Anderson-Vincent. “The “Muskegon River Trash Bash” is creating a new generation of water stewards."

Ice Mountain® employees in Mecosta, Michigan joined in the cleanup efforts.