Preparations are underway for the 2010 Spring Shoreline Beautification Cleanup at Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks, which is set to begin March 13 and continue through April 18. The Adopt-the-Shoreline organization, which organizes the cleanup, invites businesses, residents, second homeowners and vacationers to participate in the event, is celebrating its 19th anniversary this year.
AmerenUE Field Coordinator Bryan Vance says more than 700 volunteers, representing 60 Adopt-the-Shoreline member groups, are expected to participate in this year’s cleanup. But Vance adds that more boats and volunteers are always needed to help make the cleanup a success.
“There’s plenty of work for everyone—cleaning shoreline, transporting waste flotation material and stacking debris for pickup by volunteers with cleanup boats,” Vance says.
Last year, volunteers in the spring cleanup and a second cleanup in the fall removed a record 266 tons of debris from the lake’s shoreline. With UE’s ban on non-encapsulated foam flotation material in place for over a year, Adopt-the-Shoreline members anticipate a much lighter cleanup this spring since discarded dock flotation has previously accounted for the majority of all material removed during each cleanup.
Adopt-the-Shoreline is sponsored by AmerenUE, which provides administrative support and pays for disposal of the trash and debris removed, but the actual cleanup work is performed entirely by volunteers.
To volunteer, use the following list of zone coordinators to locate the zone in which you wish to work. Then contact the zone coordinator to volunteer a few hours of your time to help clean up that area. You may also volunteer by calling the Adopt-the-Shoreline office at 573-365-9252.
AmerenUE, founded in 1902, provides electric and gas service to approximately 1.2 million customers across central and eastern Missouri, including the greater St. Louis area. UE serves 57 Missouri counties and 500 towns. The company's electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. For more information, visit www.ameren.com.