Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council volunteers remove trash from Nichols Canyon.

Besides keeping track of fish and working with irrigators to conserve water, the Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council is active in cleanup and restoration activities. As part of the City of Milton-Freewater’s annual project on October 25, Council members and staff conducted a volunteer cleanup of land in Nichols Canyon.

This location south of town had been used to dump appliances, furniture, hunting debris, and other junk. Council staff Bob Bower and Brian Wolcott joined Council members Ed Chesnut, Dick Stewart, and Jim Burns along with his tractor and several pickup trucks to complete the project.

Working together, the team filled one and a half large trash bins (the industrial-strength size) with old tires, junked washing machines, clothing, and miscellaneous trash. The tractor was an essential part of the cleanup. Jim’s experience in running it meant the team could lift the heavy metal junk with ease and complete the project in one day.

This is not the first time the Watershed Council has participated in cleaning up an area near Milton-Freewater. A previous cleanup project cleared the same kinds of junk out of Cache Hollow, further up the valley.

Dumping anywhere within the jurisdiction of the City of Milton-Freewater or Umatilla County is prohibited by law. The fine for illegally depositing waste is $500. Waste that is dumped creates a safety hazard for wildlife and human and leads to pollution of water used downstream for irrigation. Trash dumped in drainages like Nichols Canyon can also block the water flow, leading to flooding and causing damage to local roads.

On behalf of the disgusted and tired volunteers and the proud citizens of Milton-Freewater and Umatilla County, the Watershed Council urges you not to dump unwanted items in our waterways. Help us keep our valley beautiful: take your trash to the landfill in Walla Walla or in Weston.

The Watershed Council can be reached at (541) 938-2170. Information about the Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council meetings and other projects they sponsor can be found on the website at www.wwbwc.org.

This article was prepared by Brian Wolcott (Coordinator) and Gina Massoni (Project Manager from 2001 to 2006) for publication in the Valley Herald newspaper.