Portion of urban Scioto River targeted through H2Ohio job

Columbus — As part of Gov. Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio Rivers Program, the Ohio DNR (ODNR) partnered with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the City of Columbus in late September to clean up a concentrated litter area on the Scioto River.

“Collaborative cleanup projects like this one are exactly what the H2Ohio Rivers Program is all about,” said Gov. DeWine. “We all have a stake in making sure Ohio’s waterways are free from litter and trash so we can have abundant clean water resources for future generations.”

ODNR, ODOT and the City of Columbus were tasked with picking up single-use items in and around the Scioto River.

Nearly 20 individuals from these agencies used canoes to collect litter along the shoreline, and larger items were lifted out of the river using a specialized piece of ODOT equipment.

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The cleanup site was located below the Frank- Refugee Expressway (OH-104 bridge) in Columbus. During flooding and water runoff events in the city, trash accumulates at this section of the Scioto River, negatively impacting the water quality of the river. Thousands of single-use items, such as plastic bottles and cups, were taken out of the river along with several coolers and a love seat.

“Collaboration with our partners is what makes the huge projects possible,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “The H2Ohio River Program is valuable part of the ODNR and H2Ohio’s mission in conserving and protecting water for everyone in the state.”

ODOT used a unique piece of equipment called a knuckleboom crane for the cleanup efforts. The crane, typically transported and set up on a bridge, is designed to lift and move objects from below.

Removing the litter from this specific cleanup site on the river reduces the number of plastics and other manmade materials from the waterway. Without this effort, much of this material would flow downstream, impacting the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

“This collaborative cleanup complements the city’s recent Scioto Sweep annual cleanup, when volunteers collected tons of trash and litter from the Scioto River and its banks,” said Director Kelly Scocco of the Columbus Department of Public Service. “These efforts move us closer to achieving the city’s Climate Action Plan goals for the well-being of all our residents.”