THE 24TH ANNUAL GREEN RIVER CLEANUP
IS SET FOR May 2, 2009!

Boaters grab your boats and gear!  On Saturday, May 2, we expect to see a river alive with kayaks, rafts, canoes, inflatable kayaks, and cat-rafts.  We want boaters on every reach of the Green River -- from Headworks to Whitney Bridge -- and perhaps even farther downstream, with sea-kayaks on the Duwamish.

The biggest, oldest, best river cleanup in Washington State needs your help to make this year's Green River Cleanup the best ever.
The Green River Cleanup is organized by primary sponsors Washington Recreational River Runners (WRRR) and Friends of the Green River (FOG).  Other sponsors include: Middle Green River Coalition, Washington Kayak Club, Paddle Trails Canoe Club, University Kayak Club, Mountaineers, BEWET, American Whitewater, Sierra Club, Green-Duwamish Watershed Alliance and Washington State Parks, King County, and more.

Boaters:  You'll stop to pick up trash along the shores and haul it down to Flaming Geyser State Park.  If you have a small boat, you may leave trash onshore by an eddy where a raft can stop to pick it up.  If you boat downstream from Flaming Geyser and need to leave trash by the road, let us know to arrange for a pickup.

Non-Boaters: Come to Flaming Geyser and help with activities there or join a ground crew.  Ground crews need gloves, long sleeves, sturdy boots with non-slip treads, and rakes or sticks to pull trash out of the blackberries.

Registration: 9:00 - noon at Flaming Geyser, Picnic Shelter #3, or Kanaskat-Palmer State Park.  Sign-in and trash bags at either park.

After boating and picking up trash, join the fun at Flaming Geyser!  FOOD!  There'll be a picnic-barbecue at the Flaming Geyser Lodge.  As usual it's a fundraiser for Friends of the Green River with a suggested donation of $10. There are also rumors of beer being available (inside the Lodge only). 
ENTERTAINMENT!  There'll also be a program with videos of the Green River and more. 
MUSIC!  Live music by Casey Garland and friends will also be part of the program. 
INFORMATION!  Copies of the Recreational Flow Study done for Friends of the Green River as part of the Tacoma-FOG Pipeline 5 Agreement. There'll be other information about the history of the Green River Cleanup and other important issues for the Green.

CAMPFIRE, CAMPOUT, DUTCH OVEN COOK-OFF, PRIZES!  If you're up for more fun and river stories join WRRR at the Kanaskat-Palmer Group Campground for an hour around the campfire or to spend the night in tent or Adirondack shelter.

INFO: Pat Sumption, 206-525-1708, patsump@juno. com
    Paul Sestak, 253- 631-6320, fridayboatclub@ hotmail.com

Well, maybe not, Thats about 35 miles from flaming g to the sound. After the upper section WW it may be a bit much to paddle all that way.

Reminder to all you kayakers:

You don't have to haul trash out in your kayak! Just bring trash bags with you, pick up trash somewhere along the river and leave the bag in an obvious spot.

Us rafters will be pushing the garbage scows down the river and will pick it up for you.

See you there!

Does anyone know if there are plans to release some water this weekend, or are we just counting on the weather to deliver another release.

Dude!  We could use a safety kayaker for the Wild and Scenic Institute.  Your only duties will be on the river.  We got a group of special kids from the inner city to take down in a couple of rafts and could use the support!  PM or give me a call!!
Franz

There's no history of additional flow being granted for the cleanup in the past.  Maybe it happens, but I wouldn't count on it.  Every year I hear "they will give extra water" and so far it has not happened to my knowledge.

Typical behavior for the dam operators is to spill inflow minus whatever they are capturing.  Maybe we get lucky and get all of inflow spilled, which should be greater than 1000 based on weather models. 

The targets for refill are for a pause starting Tuesday at 1147' I think, meaning inflow will be spilled.  They are well on pace to achieve that, which makes me optimistic that we might see inflow passed for the weekend.  1500, however, is not likely.

Sure was nice of those Dam operators to release that extra water...  

Fish, do you know if it was extra water?  Just curious if you have any first-hand info for that?  I agree it was about the most generous ACE has been in terms of how they model inflow from which they determine the release level.  From what I understand though, "extra water" is a political no-no.  In other words, if it had been cold and inflow over the weekend stayed in the 900 - 1100 range, we wouldn't have had these flows. 

Regardless, great flows.  It was a treat, I got to take my dad down for his first trip through the gorge, and he absolutely loved it.  Hoping I get him in his own boat to row it next time. 

You saw when I cruised down, so I could have missed seeing previous attempts to help. I did not see any other than Joes, but there could have been plenty before hand. Regardless those guides should be back in training, or maybe reading up on that spot.

Again big props to Joe and thanks to anyone else that wants to help replace his bag. I will post up the details once I have nailed down enough people to make it happen. PM me if your in.

Just an FYI, I was helping the whole time by sitting the eddy below in position to rescue kayak any possible survivors. If something like that happens and there is kayakers around, at least one or two kayakers should remain in their boats to be ready to assist swimmers.

What blew me away was the fact that there was around 5 or six rafts that were doing nothing to help but just sitting on the rocks eating lunch. They could have been throwing rope or something. Nobody helped until more kayaking reinforcements showed up. Then James and Joe put themselves into harms way to rescue the rafters.

?

That reminds me of the New Yorkers that don't help people because they don't want to get involved (like that episode of Seinfeld). So now they have a law in New York that you have to help people if you see something going down.

TWENTY-FOURTH GREEN RIVER CLEANUP, 2009: RECAP

THANK YOU PARTY FOR CLEANUP PARTICIPANTS
MAY 30,2009 3:00 – 7:00 PM  
AT FLAMING GEYSER STATE PARK, PICNIC SHELTER #3

Here’s a great big “Thank You” to participants -- especially all the boaters -- who came out to take care of the Green River on May 2.  Friends of the Green River wants to show you how much we appreciate all your good work for the Green.  

So come boat the Green River on May 30, 2009 if the flow suits you. Then you are invited to celebrate with a big “thank you” barbecue and picnic by Friends of the Green River at Flaming Geyser State Park.  We’ll have the usual hot dogs, hamburgers, vegie burgers, pizza, and all the trimmings.  

This will be Friends of the Green River’s “Annual Meeting” so there will be a sign-in sheet for you to put your name on as a Green River friend.  We didn’t have a sign-in sheet at the Cleanup this year because everything was chaos at the Lodge and no picnic at the picnic shelter.  You can join Friends of the Green River by signing in, and you can make a donation of $1 or more if you like.  The only business of our Annual Meeting is to elect Friends of the Green’s board members for the next year, if you choose to be a member and choose to put a few X’s on a ballot.  Additionally, if people want to talk about this year’s Cleanup, we might do a little chatting about that topic.

Please come and bring your friends to help us eat a lot of good food and a little good conservation.  If the river is not at a good level, the party goes on, unless you hear differently.
 
For further info: Pat Sumption, 206-525-1708,  patsump@juno.com
           Jay Cohen, 206-334-0850