Cleanup Saturday Near Willwood Dam

River enthusiasts and other volunteers are being invited to participate in a major cleanup below Willwood Dam this Saturday.

Dave Sweet with Trout Unlimited says they’re hoping for a large turnout of volunteers to help in the cleanup, due to the amount of debris that was released along with the water and sediment during maintenance operations last October which killed thousands of fish.

Sweet says that this cleanup is in anticipation of a flushing flow that is planned for a few weeks from now, which will move the accumulated sediment downstream into the Yellowtail Reservoir.

The cleanup is a cooperative effort between the Willwood Irrigation District, Trout Unlimited, Wyoming Game and Fish, and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, with assistance from the Bureau of Reclamation and the Wyoming Water Development Commission.

Sweet points out that Trout Unlimited came out very strongly against what happened at the Dam in October, but says that’s now in the past and it’s important to look ahead.

Sweet says that volunteers will gather at the access point below the dam at 8 a.m. where coffee and donuts will be provided. At that time they will divide into teams, and plan to be done by noon or 1 p.m. Anyone wishing to join the effort is advised to bring clothes appropriate for the weather, sturdy boots, gloves, and waders, if they have them.