BLM Cottonwood and Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy Spruce Up the Clearwater River

The Clearwater River cuts its way through the canyons of north central Idaho, some of the traditional lands and waterways traveled by the Niimíipuu (Nez Perce Tribe). The river lends itself to a handful of recreational opportunities, with the most prevalent being fishing. The Clearwater is home to the “B-Run” Steelhead, which travel over 500 miles from the Pacific Ocean to their spawning grounds in the river and its tributaries. The journey for these fish is long and torturous, they need the waters of the Clearwater to remain pristine to aid them in their pilgrimage.  

For several years, the BLM Cottonwood Field Office, aided by the Clearwater River Management Council (CMC), has assembled volunteers to take part in an annual Clearwater River Cleanup Day. The event is part of National Public Lands Day, which marked its 30th year of celebrating national public land stewardship in 2023. As a cap off to the event, a group of 16 female cadets from the Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy, BLM recreation staff, National Environmental Education Foundation, United States Forest Service, and additional volunteers set off from Cherry Lane Access Site. Their cleanup adventure would take them almost five miles downstream through a high use section of the river culminating at Gibbs Eddy Access Site. The group, aided by current and former BLM River Rangers, scanned the riverbanks from the river rafts in search of trash and debris left over after the heavy recreation season.  

The cadets exhibited every aspect of what the Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy aims to teach them, including a focus on leadership, teamwork, code of conduct, and physical training. The Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy challenges itself with “producing program graduates with the values, skills, education and self-discipline necessary to succeed as responsible and productive citizens and adults.” (idahoyouthchallenge.com) The cadets practiced most of their eight core components during the river cleanup, but none more than “service to community.” 

The cadets, together with other volunteers pulled several bags of trash out of the river as well as tires, traffic cones, scrap plywood and lumber, and children’s toys. Volunteers worked tirelessly throughout the day scrambling over rocks and wading through the current to collect debris from the river. The rafts skidded to a stop at the takeout point loaded down with a tired and accomplished crew, and an additional few hundred pounds of waterlogged rubbish.  

To give thanks to the volunteers, the CMC hosted a barbeque at BLM’s McKay’s Bend recreation site. Representatives from U.S. Senator Risch’s Office, Idaho County Search and Rescue, Nez Perce County, and the BLM were in attendance. The event truly was a community effort. The CMC concluded the event by presenting a $400 check to the Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy Foundation to aid in their mission. 

The BLM Cottonwood Field Office would like to thank all the volunteers that assisted with the Clearwater River cleanup. It was a success in not only beautifying our natural and human environment but also in building a community of like-minded selfless people. It marked the largest volunteer event the Field Office has assembled, to date. The Cottonwood Field Office is excited to continue this event in the future to promote caring and protection of our national public lands and the creatures that live in them. Remember to “pack it in, pack it out” and “love it, and leave it clean”!