Jon and Kiari Trzcienski participate in the Ausable River Association’s cleanup day on Saturday, April 20. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

The health of the AuSable River watershed is vital to the economic, physical and emotional well-being of all who live within it. Imagine if the waters of Lake Placid, Mirror Lake, the Cascade and AuSable lakes, the Chubb and AuSable rivers and their tributaries were too polluted to swim in, fish and other creatures to live in and drink.

Already, many waterways are far from pristine. Road salt and other pollutants degraded the water clarity and quality of Mirror Lake to such a degree that in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021, it wasn’t able to turn over in the spring. Another damage is in the form of microplastics created by broken plastic objects entering and breaking up streams, where they are ingested by fish and, directly or indirectly, by other life forms, including humans. Plastics along roadsides and other forms of trash capture water and become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other critters.

Broken glass can damage the webbed feet of ducks, the hoofs, pads and other appendages of the birds, mammals and reptiles living in our Adirondacks wilderness. The list of the outcomes of our litter and other waste forms could fill this newspaper’s pages. The good news is that organizations like the Ausable River Association, for years the Garden Club of Lake Placid, and this year, the Adirondack Sports Council are doing everything they can through education and direct action to mobilize people to clean up our waterways, roads and paths alongside them.

This past Saturday, April 20, the Ausable River Association took on the river roadsides between Lake Placid and Wilmington, from Keene Valley to Jay and a bit beyond. The good news is that the volunteer turnout was at least 30% greater than last year.

Organizations that sent volunteers included the Ausable Valley Rotary Club, North Country School, Mountain Lake Academy, Keene Valley Congregational Church and Keene Central School, where students got credit for the community service activities.

Lee and Heather Raker of Keene Valley (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

Thanks to Green Goddess Natural Market, Origin Coffee in Lake Placid, Valley Grocery, Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort, Ironman Foundation and NRS, volunteers had bright orange garbage bags to fill, coffee to lift their spirits and a lovely spread laid out at 1 p.m. to replenish their spirits.

“We’re recent homeowners in the Park, and we love the outdoors and are glad to be doing what we can to help clean up the rivers that are all around and very important to us,” said Montrealer Jon Trzcienski with his daughter Kiari as they got their section assignments.

Joy McCabe and her grandson Dax cleared along the edge of Marcy Field in Keene. Dax said he enjoyed helping to clean up, and he, too, would like to do it again. He said a few pieces were out of reach, but he picked up everything he could.

While Heather Raker of Keene Valley helped clean along the East Branch of the AuSable River, and her husband Lee gathered bags filled by volunteers and hauled them to the Keene transfer station.

“We’re working the river between the park and up towards the Mountaineer, and it’s going great,” said Heather. “We got five bags of garbage and a big pipe that I needed my husband to carry. We left the cinder blocks because they were a bit overwhelming.”

Madison Stroud, Operations Director and Kathleen Martens (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

“We have a house on the river, and we want to keep it as clean as possible,” said Lee.

Another trash hauler was Joe Martens, a former commissioner at the state Department of Environmental Conservation and current board chair at the Olympic Regional Development Authority.

“The nice thing about retirement is that I get to volunteer for many things,” said Martens. “This is the first of three in a row. Next week will be the Adirondack Rail Trail cleanup, and the week following will be the village of Lake Placid.”

“Hulls Falls Road is such a gorgeous road that I enjoy being here even if it is picking up trash,” said Marilyn Zygo, who was hard at work descending the steep banks to gather all the rubbish she could. “Unfortunately, there’s a lot of trash. Even though there are some steep ravines here, it’s fun. I highly recommend doing this; it feels good, it’s an awesome day, and I couldn’t be happier.”

“I’m assisting my daughter, Liana,” said Shannon Shanbo of Jay, both first-time cleanup volunteers. “We are doing the Jay Covered Bridge area, which is not far from where we live.”

Joe Martens and Tom Woodman (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

“While I will get credit in my school (KCS) for volunteering, I am here because I want to help my community by cleaning up the river,” said Liana, a 10th grader.

Around 1 p.m., volunteers gathered at the Keene pavilion to report in, have lunch and swap stories.

“The day was great,” said Jon Trzcienski after three hours spent along the West Branch of the AuSable River. “We loaded two bags full of garbage up near Wilmington. We found a lot of empty alcohol containers, twisted tea cans, an old Pokemon card, and lots of interesting stuff. Our arms were tired, which is a good sign; it means we took a lot of trash from the riverbank.”

“It was hard work, but nice to be able to do some good,” said his daughter Kiari. “I definitely would do it again.”

In the unusual trash department, Katherine Brown pulled a mailbox from the roadside brush between Adirondack Mountain Coffee Cafe and Stonehouse Road in Upper Jay. Hillary Papineau and her two young assistants found an array that included a tea bag, a gemstone attached small chain, and a car key fob. Other items gathered included a small snare drum, a full half-gallon of soy milk, a full can of Budweiser beer, a plastic Easter egg with money inside, two tape measures and a large plastic drainage pipe. Several people found equipment from the Keene or Jay fire departments most likely washed away by the Topical Storm Irene flood, including a plaque that will be returned to the Keene Volunteer Fire Department.

Shannon Shanbo and her daughter Liana of Jay (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

“We are thrilled that the volunteers gathered over 2,600 pounds of trash and prevented it from entering our rivers,” said Madison Stroud, operations director at the Ausable River Association.

“People are so enthusiastic, they get it; their focus on the river or stream corridor is making a difference,” said Ausable River Association Executive Director Kelley Tucker. “It’s great. A lot of stuff is going downstream. We must catch it before it does.”

Next, the May 4 Lake Placid Cleanup needs volunteers to come to the village-owned Beach House at Mirror Lake at 9 a.m. for assignments and trash bags.

(Naj Wikoff lives in Keene Valley. He has been covering events for the Lake Placid News for more than 15 years.)