Friends of Pool 9 will hold a Mississippi River Clean-Up Day on Satutrday, April 18th

Friends of Pool 9 is spearheading this year’s Mississippi River Clean-Up  Day on Pool 9 on Saturday, April 18  from 8:00 am to noon.  Teams will gather at DeSoto WI, Blackhawk Park, WI, Ferryville, Lansing, and New Albin. Through Friends of Pool 9 efforts almost 100 tons  of debris have been collected through the years. This year’s collection may send that number over a 100 tons! In 2025, over 100 volunteers collected over 6 tons of debris during the clean-up day. 

Anyone interested in keeping Pool 9 clean is encouraged to join with friends, neighbors and family to help keep the Mississippi River, banks and islands spaces to enjoy.  On the water, volunteers with boats will corral wayward floating barrels and other objects which pose hazards in the river. On the islands and shore, volunteers will police for cans, refuse, and anything that doesn’t belong along the river. Bring your entire family and make this an event which shows all ages how to be stewards of Pool 9. Collection sites will be at the Ferryville boat landing, Blackhawk Park,  New Albin Army Road and Lansing VFW Shoreline. Waiver forms, trash bags, gloves, and bottled water will be available for volunteers.  Directions for areas to work can be discussed with organizers the morning of the event. Volunteers can just show up the day of the clean up. Questions may be directed to community contacts.

Contact for the communities is as follows.: DeSoto-Jerry Boardman (563)419-7968, Blackhawk park-Bruce Kilmer (608)778-1336, Ferryville-Bob Weber (612)240-7384, Lansing-Alex Galema (563)568-7294, New Albin-Jim Erbe (563)419-1085.