Spring Floods, Trash in the River, OSOM's Never Ending Cleanup Contest

We had the opportunity to get out paddling on the Columbia River a few times in the past week. The foliage is returning to the trees, the temperatures are warming, and the snow is melting. Snow melt combined with record rainfall in March means that the Columbia and it's tributaries (250,000+sq. mile drainage area) are flowing high and fast. 

The first big flows of the year push an immense amount of debris & refuse into the river and set it on a path towards the ocean. Just in the short time we were paddling last week, we removed a plastic gas can, a plastic owl statue, several plastic water bottles, endless pieces of foam, and more.

Our goal with our upcoming "Portland to the Ocean Trashpedition" is to remove as much of the plastic debris from the Columbia as we can. By documenting our experiences on this trip, we hope to inspire others to pick up trash and dispose of it properly whenever they come across it.

What can you do to pitch in? Just pick it up! Like us on Facebook & post a photo of the removal and disposal of trash from any waterway, using any human powered craft to our wall. The person or group who picks up the most litter each month wins a prize from our sponsors.

None of this would be possible without support from our families, friends, community, and sponsors. We're thankful to be surrounded by people who believe in our project & mission! Please support the people who support us by clicking our sponsors links on this page.