Since 1991, men and women who love Lake of the Ozarks have been donating labor and time to keep the Lake clean for everyone.
On Thursday night, Ameren hosted a banquet for the key cleanup organizers and zone coordinators who have adopted 700 miles of shoreline. They are the ones responsible for recruiting more manpower to clean the shore. Their efforts have brought more than 13,000 volunteers together over the course of twenty-five years to remove 5.5 million tons of garbage.
Tires and refrigerators are two types of garbage that are expensive to dispose of properly. Unfortunately, there are plenty of those types removed from the shoreline each year. Ameren provides $10,000 to $20,000 for this purpose and trash bags for other types. Volunteers provide the labor.
One of the original volunteers, Ike Edwards, remembers when dock foam was the most common type of trash collected. Now it’s less common, but volunteers still collect and carry off shopping carts, bowling balls, treadmills, bottles with messages sealed inside, and even one prosthetic leg.
Edwards began volunteering to set an example for the high school ecology students he taught at School of the Osage. Ecology classes adopted shoreline every year for decades. He met with his students on the Gravois Arm and worked beside them while his wife prepared a barbecue dinner as an after-work reward.
One of those work days changed the lives of a few students forever. While on a lunch break, aboard a barge, they saw a bass boat go airborne after hitting a log in the water. The fisherman was thrown into the water and was being dragged down by water-soaked overalls and boots. He admitted he couldn’t swim. Not even a life jacket could save him. On that day, however, a School of the Osage cleanup crew was on hand to rescue him.
One of those students was J. R. Ray, son of an original Shoreline cleanup organizer. The son was present for the Ameren banquet and remembered the rescue well. When asked why he continues to volunteer, he said, “to keep the Lake beautiful, and it’s working.” He remembers a time when there was more trash along the shore. “Now it’s a whole lot nicer,” he said.
In 2014, Ike Edwards retired from teaching, but not from volunteering to clean up the Lake’s shoreline. Edwards, his wife, and daughter adopted three miles of shore. They invite his ex-students, now high school graduates, to return, and later, enjoy barbecue.
Ameren joined the clean-up team in 1994. Bryan Vance coordinates the Adopt-the-Shoreline Cleanup effort for Ameren. He was present at the kick-off banquet to speak about the program, its history, and recognize some volunteers who have gone above and beyond.
Central Bank of Lake of the Ozarks earned the 2016 Adopt-the-Shoreline Outstanding Volunteer Organization Award for continuous membership dating back to 1995. Central Bank has been responsible for mile markers 8 through 14 in Zone 3. Due to the number of coves along that shoreline, Central Bank’s volunteers clean 10 miles annually. Bruce Thomson, Zone 3’s coordinator, has calculated the Bank’s contribution equal to 80 tons of trash removed.
Rich Lair was also recognized for his contributions to ensure Zone 10’s boats and equipment are in top condition. Joe Long, a long-time volunteer in Zone 11, was recognized for his commitment to the Lake and Zone 11’s organizers, the Triplett family. Patrick Callahan was also honored for his dedication to shoreline service.
This year’s Ameren Missouri Shoreline Cleanup Program begins March 19 and continues through April 24. Zone coordinators are currently recruiting volunteers to help insure that Lake of the Ozarks remains beautiful and clean for all. Visit www.AmerenMissouri.com/ats for information.
