Our primary water-based cleanup program
is aimed at getting Allegheny County residents engaged with the local rivers and streams through cleaning up debris that accumulates along the shorelines. Our team works with volunteers to remove trash and educates them about issues affecting our waterways.
is aimed at getting Allegheny County residents engaged with the local rivers and streams through cleaning up debris that accumulates along the shorelines. Our team works with volunteers to remove trash and educates them about issues affecting our waterways.
The waterways of Allegheny County have undergone significant changes in the 18 years that the Tireless Project has been working. The early years of our program were spent removing large debris, like tires and appliances, from the riverbanks. While we still remove tires, metals, and even the occasional mattress, we are seeing a huge increase in plastic pollution, especially single-use plastic bottles, food wrappers, polystyrene pieces, and barrels. The influx of single-use plastics in our waterways is primarily connected to on-land litter entering our storm drains and then being dumped into the river during heavy rain events via combined sewer overflows (CSOs).
Because the rivers are a key feature of Allegheny County, partner organizations often join the cleanups and do other work such as invasive species removal, tree/flower planting, trail maintenance, litter pickup, etc. These family-friendly cleanups are great opportunities to connect with and learn about the health of the region’s rivers and streams.
Our rivers and streams are incredible resources to our region. Our goal is to get residents actively engaged with the waterways in their own back yard as a way of learning more about their community. We hope that by doing so they will become lifelong caretakers of the waterways and will work to protect and sustain them for future generations.
Because the rivers are a key feature of Allegheny County, partner organizations often join the cleanups and do other work such as invasive species removal, tree/flower planting, trail maintenance, litter pickup, etc. These family-friendly cleanups are great opportunities to connect with and learn about the health of the region’s rivers and streams.
Our rivers and streams are incredible resources to our region. Our goal is to get residents actively engaged with the waterways in their own back yard as a way of learning more about their community. We hope that by doing so they will become lifelong caretakers of the waterways and will work to protect and sustain them for future generations.
