Everyone Wins With Cleaner Lakes!

Saturday, August 2 marked OTLPOA’s First Annual Lakes and River Cleanup Event. From 9AM to 3PM teams competed in hauling trash and junk out of the OTLPOA Lakes and River.

Eight teams entered in the battle for most trash: Blue Heron Haberman, The Beer Can Troubadours, The Lakeside Litter Lifters, Water Gophers, Clean Stream Dream Team, Sanford and Son, The Cabin Down Below, and We’re Not Trashy. We love those names! (Maybe a best team name next year?)

Cash prizes were awarded for the Most items, Second Most items, and Most Unique item (it was a pair of underwear!). All registered teams were awarded a door prize at Beach Bums after the event. There were also prizes drawn for participants, and folks helping with the event, as well as some tasty walleye and chicken and beverages served for all in attendance.   

Running away with the top prize for Most trash collected was The Clean Stream Dream Team, with Second Most and Most Unique items both being awarded to The Lakeside Litter Lifters. Honorable mention, while not competing, goes to the crew of Advanced Docks and Lifts barge who hoisted a large old bridge timber loaded with nails out of the water in front of the bridge at the access where the Otter Tail River runs out of the lake.

Special thanks go to all competing teams, OTLPOA Foundation for cosponsoring and funding the event, Otter Tail County Water Patrol, Otter Tail County Dive Team, Advanced Docks and Lifts, Lakes Area Docks & Lifts, Otter Tail County Solid Waste, Beach Bums, Thumper Pond, The Otter, and Big Fish Kayaks who all contributed in big ways to the event. 

If eight teams can retrieve all this debris, imagine what 80 could do next year! Even better, imagine if everyone stopped this litter and debris before it got into our valuable waters!