After a five-year absence, volunteers scoured the water and banks of the Rock River to “sweep” the river of trash during the Oregon Area Rock River Sweep on Saturday, Sept. 6.

Organized by the city of Oregon’s Sustainability Committee, this year’s event was held under sunny skies and in chilly temperatures, as volunteers swept the river from Mud Creek Road to the Castle Rock State Park boat landing.

Melanie Cozzi, one of the event organizers, said several large items were pulled from the river.

“The event was a community success for the first time bringing it back in over five years,” Cozzi said. “We filled two 4-yard dumpsters, finding items such as recyclables, a hard hat, metal pipes, a deer skull, a dish satellite, barrels and tires, clothing, buckets and a fire extinguisher.”

Cozzi said about 30 volunteers, ranging from retirees to junior high students and a family of four with students kindergarten age and younger, helped with the project.

Several drop-off sites for trash were located along the cleanup route, where crews from the Oregon Park District and the Solid Waste Management Department picked it up and took it back to Kiwanis Park to be sorted for disposal or recycling.

“Big thanks to Butitta Auto for donating disposal of collected tires [and] Northern Illinois Disposal for donating the dumpsters and waste removal,” Cozzi said.

She also thanked Quentin Snook from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for running a boat up and down the south side of the dam, collecting garbage and helping with the planning process, as well as the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon Fire Department.

Cozzi said White Pelican donated canoes and shuttle service to volunteers, and the Ogle County Solid Waste Management Department donated supplies and manpower.

“The Oregon school district donated walkie-talkies for our communication system,” she said. “This will be an annual event. Keep a lookout for next year’s opportunity to keep our waterways clean and free of unwanted debris and waste.”

Members of the city of Oregon’s Sustainability Committee include Cozzi, Joyce Lewis, Steve Rypkema, Tim Benedict and Tom Pacey.

The Rock River Sweep was an annual event for 10 years, sponsored by the nonprofit RockRiverSweep.org. That group dissolved in 2021.

The Oregon Sustainability Committee included hosting cleanup events in its sustainability plan, which was adopted by the city in 2024.