HAVERHILL — A decoy duck, a dishwasher and several tires were among the finds local cleanup volunteers dug up and dragged out from the water.
About 40 volunteers strapped on boots and gloves last weekend — Oct. 4 — for Haverhill’s second Merrimack River Shoreline Cleanup. The results of their handiwork piled high: more than 60 bags of trash and two truckloads of debris removed from the riverbank and Merrimack River Park, also known as the Hannah Dustin Rest Area, on River Street.
Residents, city officials, students and conservation partners came together to clear litter from the waterway and surrounding green spaces. Department of Public Works employees helped haul the collected waste away to properly dispose of it while Aroma Joe’s Coffee pitched in and donated hot coffee and tea for volunteers.
“We had a feeling this would be a rewarding cleanup,” the Haverhill Conservation Department wrote online. “But we didn’t know we would be removing this much trash from this location!”
Among the discarded items were tires, a television, a dishwasher, a decoy duck, a futon, a desk chair and blankets. Beer bottles and soda cans also made up a large portion of the junk, Haverhill Conservation Commission partner Christine Kwitchoff said.
A key part of the planning was scheduling the cleanup to coincide with low tide, giving volunteers greater access to the riverbank and shallow sections of the water.
“That allowed us to go further into the river and dig out things that had long been left there and lodged itself into the riverbank,” she said. “It all just worked out great.”
Conservation Department Head Clerk McKayla Arsenault described the initiative as long overdue.
“It felt like a lot more than what we had cleaned up last year at Riverside as far as larger items and litter overall,” she said.
Joining the cleaning crew was Mayor Melinda Barrett, who got into the weeds with other volunteers to remove trash. Several National Honor Society students from nearby high schools participated as well.
Kwitchoff added that the tidying up stretched beyond the riverbank and into the surrounding areas, especially because some litter left on the grounds could eventually make its way to the water regardless.
“Events like that really bring the community together in a shared mission that draws attention to a common problem that we can all solve if we do work together,” she said.
The event provided residents the opportunity to weigh in on the future of Merrimack River Park, which Kwitchoff mentioned is more dormant.
Conservation officials set out a suggestion box asking volunteers for ideas on how to better activate the area. Participants submitted their ideas, and the box was taken to the department heads. Officials have planned to meet on Monday to discuss these suggestions and workshop potential improvements.
Arsenault said the department hopes to hold the third-annual shoreline cleanup next fall, most likely on a Sunday in late September, when water levels are once again expected to be low, and the weather is still pleasant.
Other chances to help out are available through Haverhill Trail Stewards, a volunteer public service program managed by the Conservation Department and the Haverhill Trails Committee. Volunteers help care for trails and outdoor spaces with litter removal, maintenance and additional improvement work.
Trail steward workdays are scheduled for Oct. 21 and Nov. 5. The department’s mailing list includes 163 people, Arsenault said, with about two dozen residents who regularly step forward to clean up and maintain the walkways.