CANAL FULTON ‒ Paulette Daniels and Don Baker founded the Canal Fulton Canoe Livery & Campground in 1999 with a mission to create a place where visitors could connect with nature in a friendly and clean environment.
And they continue working to keep out litter and maintain the area along the Tuscarawas River and the Ralph Regula Towpath Trail that runs along it.
Discarded tires, in particular, have become a blight on the landscape enjoyed by deer, blue heron and other creatures.
Recognizing the need for action, Daniels and Baker initiated monthly river cleanup events in May.
These efforts brought together a diverse group of volunteers, including Boy Scout troops, local businesses, the Clean Rivers Initiative, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and others.
The result: 194 discarded tires were pulled from the Tuscarawas River.
What do you do with old river tires?
In May, volunteers pulled 19 tires from the river. By June, that number had risen to 36. The livery paid out of pocket to recycle 55 tires, sending them to the Stark, Tuscarawas & Wayne County Solid Waste District.
Yet the problem persisted. Daniels soon realized the scope of the issue was beyond their means.
When the tire count surpassed 100, she reached out to the Ohio EPA for assistance. The state agency agreed to remove and properly dispose of the tires at no cost to the livery.
“Any trash, but especially tires, dumped in the river poses a host of problems for our guests and the environment,” Daniels said. “They clog up the river, and old tires that have settled on the riverbanks hold standing water where mosquitoes can breed, creating the perfect environment for the spread of diseases such as West Nile virus.”
Daniels emphasized the legality of the issue. “It’s illegal to dump waste into the rivers and waterways. I want to encourage people to report any suspicious activity in the hopes of stopping it.”
As the season winds down, the Canal Fulton Canoe Livery & Campground may host one final clean-up event in September. Information will be posted on the business’ Facebook page.
Reach Bev at bshaffer@gannett.com or 330-580-8318.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canal Fulton Canoe Livery cleans tires from Tuscarawas River banks
