Lower Salt River Graffiti & Trash Removal Restoration
18,580 pounds of trash removed, 3 tires removed & recycled, & 993 square feet of graffiti removed from the lower salt river from water users to granite reef RECREATION area.
BEFORE
AFTER
Our Dedicated Restoration Team removed 12,900 pounds of trash, removed & recycled 3 tires, and removed 993 square feet of graffiti from the Lower Salt River in early 2022. This project was made possible due to grant funding through the Cares Act and Set Aside Funding through the US Forest Service SW Region & the Tonto National Forest Mesa Ranger District, grant funding from REI Co-Op, & a donation from American Rivers. Volunteers also helped us remove 5,680 pounds of trash during our annual National Public Lands Day & Green Friday Lower Salt River Cleanups in the fall of 2021.
Our trash and graffiti removal projects filled a need to keep recreation areas clean to ensure they remain open to the community, especially during a time where we are seeing drastic increases in outdoor recreation. Below is a highlight of the work we accomplished at the Lower Salt River.
This project provided 776 hours of work to the Military Veterans on our team. Vets working with us benefited from our program not only through paid contract work but also through spending time in nature with other vets. It was extremely rewarding both mentally and physically to accomplish this project together and make a lasting impact on the state of Arizona.
Our hope is that by removing the graffiti as seen in the pictures & video, fewer people will make the mistake of thinking it is okay to tag the rocks and boulders. By removing the trash, we seek to educate the public, promote Leave No Trace ethics and discourage others from leaving their trash behind.
We believe everyone should be able to experience nature without seeing trash or graffiti. We also believe wildlife should not suffer or lose their life because of trash left by humans.
Thanks to everyone at the U.S. Forest Service & the Tonto National Forest - Mesa Ranger District for helping us make a lasting impact on Arizona, the Lower Salt River and the Tonto National Forest.
BEFORE
AFTER
Click picture for full-size image gallery
view additional photos & Video from this project Week HERE.
view additional photos & Video from this project Week HERE.
view additional photos & Video from this project Week HERE.
view additional photos & Video from this project week HERE.
view additional photos from this project week HERE.
view additional photos from this project week HERE.
We also hosted our annual National Public Lands Day and Green Friday Cleanups
09/25/21 National Public Lands Day Lower Salt River Cleanup
228 volunteers, including 56 youth volunteers helped us remove 1,800 pounds of trash from Phon D Sutton Recreation Area along the Lower Salt River. Click HERE to view all of the event photos.
11/26/21 Green Friday Lower Salt River Cleanup
209 volunteers, including 55 youth volunteers helped us remove 3,880 pounds of trash from Phon D Sutton Recreation Area along the Lower Salt River. Click HERE to view all of the event photos.
Photo courtesy of CVC Photography
Please contact the non-emergency number for the area if you see anyone vandalizing public lands and please contact us when you see graffiti or trash in outdoor recreation and wilderness areas so we can work with the land management agency to remove the graffiti rather than paint over it.
We proudly Graffiti Removal Products and the EcoBlaster Portable Pressure Washer & Water Source from World's Best Graffiti Removers. You can check out our other graffiti removal projects HERE.
