Volunteers Step Up To Clean Water, Shoreline At Big Island, Minnetonka
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- One of the busiest spots to drop anchor on Lake Minnetonka is also the most likely place to find boaters' trash.
Over the weekend, boaters will spend hours at Big Island. By Monday, the area is littered with garbage.
Life's a Beach owner Josh Leddy makes sure to visit the popular Cruiser's Cove area at least once a week. He and his employees are not here for recreation, they're looking for the remnants of a weekend party. Boaters have a tendency to leave the fun behind.
"Cups, beer cans, all that stuff. It's not good," Leddy said. "You can't move more than 10 feet without seeing pieces of liter all on this rip wrap."
But the concern isn't just trash left on the shoreline -- they're also worried about what they can't see at surface level.
Each week Josh's crew and Gabriel Jabbour of Tonka Bay Marina volunteer to remove the cans, bottles and unexpected junk. Last year, the Lake Minnetonka Association asked for help after realizing Big Island needed more than just a once a year clean-up.
"I don't know how we would do it without the volunteers," said Melissa Waskiewicz of the Lake Minnetonka Association. "That's the cost of the disposal, the cost of the gas out and the time."
The concern isn't just environmental -- sunken garbage poses another threat.
"What people don't realize is that gives a whole new host of breeding ground for zebra mussels," Maskiewicz said.
The work hasn't let up in a prime party spot. After just 10 minutes of searching the water, Leddy and his crew had a few bags worth of garbage.
"We're definitely pulling out about a half ton to a ton every visit," Leddy said.
Families who live on Big Island also help with that clean up.
