Each year, nearly a million people visit Patoka Reservoir, an 8,800-acre lake that straddles Dubois, Crawford and Orange counties.
And each year, thousands of discarded water bottles, crushed beer cans and other refuse accumulate along the lake’s 161 miles of shoreline.
Organizers of the annual Patoka Lake Cleanup Day are seeking volunteers to scour the reservoir this weekend for garbage and debris. Registration is from 8 to 9 a.m. Saturday at Hoosier Hills Marina on the lake’s west side or at Painter Creek ramp on the northeast end of the reservoir.
Pontoon boats will drop volunteers along the shore. Trash bags, gloves and other supplies will be provided.
“We realize we can’t get it all,” said John Wade, chairman of the Patoka Lake Watershed Committee. “But we can sure get the spots that are close to shore.”
Volunteers have collected roughly 12 tons of trash since the event began in 2008. Boy Scouts and other civic groups are usually involved in the cleanup.
Last year, 52 volunteers took part. Organizers hope to attract 100 this year.
“It’s family-oriented,” said Wade, noting that organizers will hold a fish fry at noon Saturday to show their appreciation for those who help clean. “We’d really like to get the word out.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began constructing the reservoir in 1970 to protect downstream communities from flooding. The lake was dedicated in 1980.
Besides being a major tourist draw, the lake provides drinking water to a dozen counties in southwestern Indiana. That’s why the annual cleanup is so important, said Bruce Heeke, general manager of the Patoka Lake Regional Water and Sewer District.
With the exception of Jasper, which pumps and treats its own drinking water from the Patoka River, every community in Dubois County relies on the reservoir for at least some of its water supply.
Dana Reckelhoff, an interpretive naturalist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, said most of the lake’s visitors come during the spring and summer months.
“With that influx of people comes an influx of trash and debris left behind,” Reckelhoff said. “People are out having a good time on their boat and they speed up and don’t realize that the Walmart bag that was holding their soft drinks has washed up on shore. It leaves a lot of safety hazards for wildlife and just isn’t appealing to look at.”
“It’s important,” she added, “that we get out there and ensure that our water quality stays good so that we do have drinking water for many years to come.”
Saturday’s cleanup is sponsored by the watershed committee, DNR, the water and sewer district, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hoosier Hills Marina and Patoka Lake Marina & Lodging. For more information, call DNR at 812-685-2447.
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