By Mary Drier
Staff Writer
CARO — The concept of a few people working together to accomplish a lot was proven Saturday during the annual Cass River Greenways clean up.
“About 50 volunteers turned out to help clean up the Cass River. Most of them were from Frankenmuth,” said Tuscola County Commissioner Craig Kirkpatrick, who is a supporter of the group.
This year’s river clean up effort concentrated on the seven-mile area from in the dam near Caro towards M-46.
Kirkpatrick, who helped with the clean up, said he was amazed not so much with the amount of debris found in the river, but rather the variety.
“There was a washing machine, shopping carts, and lots of tires,” he said. “In just one location there was 15 tires. Someone must have just stood there and rolled down one after another.”
According to Kirkpatrick, the area of the river the group worked on still has plenty of water for recreation.
“The dam isn’t looking too healthy. It needs a lot of repair,” he said.
Since one of the gates on the dam broke in the spring, the Cass River near Chippewa Landing south of Caro has been extremely low.
Cass River Greenways is an effort by a group of local volunteers, assisted by professional resources and municipal leaders, who work to enhance recreational opportunities and the environmental well-being of the Cass River Corridor.
“The Cass River is a beautiful area,” said Kirkpatrick noting more effort should be done to market and promote it.
The Cass River Water Trail has a series canoe/kayak launch sites to be built on public property in Vassar, Tuscola and Frankenmuth. In addition to the launch sites, the water trail project includes parking and restroom facilities, along with promotional material and informative signage along the river.
Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.