(Radio Iowa) – Volunteers are needed in north-central Iowa this weekend to help clean up a stretch of the Boone River. In years past, they’ve hauled out everything from water heaters to wagon wheels. They’ll be clearing out debris from the waterway on Saturday as a group, according to Brian Stroner, with the city of Webster City, who’s organizing the Boone River Clean-up.

“We’re going to be on the river for about four to five hours,” Stroner says. “We’re going to provide food and drink, some T-shirts. We’re also offering a self-guided clean-up to where people can go at their own pace. We’ll have dumpsters available at the 7-B canoe access, also at Briggs Woods.”

Hamilton County Conservation naturalist John Laird said since the first clean up of the river in 2007, volunteers have collected a range of interesting items. “We’ve found all kinds of things,” Laird says. “We’ve found couches, washing machines, washers, dryers, cars, car parts, old safes.”

Hamilton County Conservation Board photo

They had planned to clean a stretch of the Des Moines River in Fort Dodge this weekend, but the plans were called off due to the high water levels. The Boone is one of Iowa’s most scenic rivers.

Learn more about the weekend cleanup at the Hamilton County Conservation Facebook page. Volunteers are to meet at Briggs Woods Shelter #1 at 7:30 AM on Saturday.