Join us for a morning of cleaning up the Grand River between the Grand Rapids and Allendale GVSU campuses!

Dates:  Saturday, September 11 and Monday, September 13
Time:  8am-noon
What to bring:  Your own kayak or canoe, paddle, personal flotation device, and anything else to help you collect trash (i.e. fishnet to scoop, floatie to put trash in).

Making Waves, WMEAC, and the Mayors' Cleanup will provide gloves, garbage bags, and a support boat to offload garbage bags when filled. 

Sign up below for one or both dates. 

• We will be meeting for the event at 8:00 am on Saturday, September 11, 2021.
• Boats will be launched from Veteran’s Boat Launch (42.93010849, -85.7564104).  See map below.
• Vehicles can be shuttled down to the take-out at the Grand Lady Rock (42.933054, -85.800230) after boats are dropped at the launch site.
• A 15-passenger van has been reserved to shuttle people from the takeout back up to the launch site so they can leave their vehicles at the take-out site (steamboat campground where the Grand Lady is docked).
• The length of the float from the put-in at Veteran’s Boat Launch to the Grand Lady dock is approximately 4 miles.  Assuming an average velocity of about 1-1½ mph the float should take about 3-4 hours with time to collect garbage along the way.
• GVSU Biology department (Dr. Eric Snyder) has agreed to provide a support boat and pilot to collect and ferry garbage to the take out site at the Grand Lady Dock.
• This boat will be launched at the veteran’s boat launch and will be available for garbage pickups as needed.  We will try to stay together as a group to make garbage pickup easier for the support boat.
• The support boat will have additional garbage backs and other support materials.
• We hope to be taking out the boats at the campground or Grand Lady dock around 12:00 noon.

• We will be meeting for the event at 8:00 am on Monday, September 13, 2021.
• Boats will be launched from near the Grand Lady Dock (42.933054, -85.800230).  See map below.
• Vehicles can be shuttled down to the take-out at Grand Ravines Park North (42.952435, -85.874329) after boats are dropped at the launch site.
• A 15-passenger van has been reserved to shuttle people from the take-out back up to the launch site so they can leave their vehicles at the take-out site (Grand Ravines North Park Lodge Parking).
• The length of the float from the put-in at Veteran’s Boat Launch to the Grand Lady dock is approximately 4.6 miles.  Assuming an average velocity of about 1-1½ mph the float should take about 3-4 hours with time to collect garbage along the way.
• GVSU CREW (Dan Martin) has agreed to provide a support boat and pilot to collect and ferry garbage to the take out site at the Grand Ravines Park (garbage may be shuttled to the Crew Dock for pickup).
• This boat will be launched from the Crew dock and will be available for garbage pickups as needed.  We will try to stay together as a group to make garbage pickup easier for the support boat.
• The support boat will have additional garbage backs and other support materials.
• We hope to be taking out the boats at Grand Ravines Lodge around 12:00 noon.