News Release
| Release Number: | PA-08-061 |
| Dated: | 4/30/2008 |
| Contact: | Erica Gann, 503-808-4510 |
PORTLAND, Ore. — Volunteers are needed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, to help clean up shoreline areas around Foster Lake as part of SOLV’s 13th annual Down by the Riverside.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Linn County Parks and Recreation Department have teamed up to sponsor and coordinate this local event.
Orientation begins at 9 a.m. at the Calkins Park Boat Ramp on Foster Lake. From there, volunteers will work in areas around the lake that are not regularly cleaned by park staff. Volunteers with boats are encouraged to bring them to help access remote shoreline areas. Volunteers are also urged to wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and long pants as much of the work will be on slippery or uneven terrain. Gloves, tools, drinking water and snacks will be available throughout the day.
Families, groups and individuals may pre-register through SOLV’s Web site by visiting www.solv.org/programs/down_by_the_riverside.asp. Scroll down to Linn County’s listings then click on the “register now” button for “Foster Lake Cleanup.”
“This event is a great opportunity for the community to help clean up a lake that provides important recreation and economic benefits to the area,” said Corps Park Ranger Tami Schroeder. “We also encourage participation by people who live outside the area but who regularly enjoy recreation activities on and around Foster Lake.”
This local clean-up is part of the larger annual SOLV effort Down by the Riverside, which encourages people to get involved in environmental stewardship activities in their local communities. Last year, over 11,500 volunteers from across Oregon and southwest Washington participated in Down by the Riverside projects at public parks and green spaces. Volunteers learn about their personal impact on local watersheds and strengthen community resources to enhance and protect these valuable places.
Foster lake is one of the 13 dam and reservoir projects operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Willamette River drainage system. Each dam contributes to a water resource plan designed to provide flood damage reduction, power generation, irrigation, water quality improvement, fish and wildlife habitat, recreation and navigation on the Willamette River and many of its tributaries.
The Calkins Park Boat Ramp on Foster Lake is located six miles east of Sweet Home on Quartzville Road (just off Highway 20).
For more information on this event, contact Tami Schroeder at Willamette Valley Project Ranger Office at (541) 942-5631.