Delaware Canal State Park (6-May-2016)

Started the day off cleaning out my car of all of the trash from the Lehigh Gorge. I then loaded it back up with cans. I had to run an errand in Phillipsburg NJ and on the way was the recycling center, so I used the opportunity to trade in some cans and the tractor batteries I had found on gamelands. For 57 lbs of cans I received $18.24 and for the two batteries $6.50. Not all that much, but aluminum has been down for awhile. After a short trip over to Phillipsburg I made my way back across the Delaware to Easton and stopped at the Delaware Canal State Park. I knew there would be trash. I cleaned this area several times last year, there is always trash. Part of the reason is that it is where the Lehigh joins the Delaware so there are two rivers that feed trash down to this specific area. 

Before I even made it to the water I found this. Some things I just will never understand. All unused wrapped plastic utensils. Why would anyone leave handfuls of them by the river? There is just no sense to this at all. 

With all the rain in the past week the river was high so I couldn't take my normal path around. I did walk out to the point where the Lehigh meets the Delaware, but I had to walk back the way I came instead of doing a loop. 

My focus on this trip was recyclables, I found a lot of larger non-recyclable items, but I couldn't take them. There are no trash cans or dumpsters at this site which means I have nowhere to go with things like this. 

When I started heading down river on the Delaware I hit this debris pile. I knew I would be spending a lot of time on it. I started picking out bottle after bottle and making a pile.

This debris pile was from the last really high water event that occurred since my last visit to the site last year. It is just mind blowing how many plastic bottles were in this single debris pile.

When the pile I was making reached this size I decided it was time to start packing everything up. For some reason I thought this would fit in the one burlap sack and the backpack I had on me. I was wrong.

The first load back to the car. I then grabbed the other burlap sack I had in the car and went back to the pile by the river. 

The second load didn't quite get rid of the pile. This time when I returned to the car I just emptied the sack right in the back. Then it was back to finish off the pile and loop around to the back of the debris to pluck out more plastics.   

On the other side of the debris pile I found this lovely sight. This is a common thing in this area. Encampments are made and abandoned by the river. I am going to try to contact the park to see if they will dispose of all of this if I haul it up to the canal path. I may ask the park for a donation of thick trash bags for this as well. I think I could clean up the whole area in a day, I just hope the DCNR will help out with this one as well. 

The backside of the debris pile was just as bad as the front. I took all I could out and quickly filled up the bags. 

The third load taken out. This time I did not empty the burlap sack. I did return to the debris pile to fill up my pack once more.

This time I found another abandoned camp and some other oddly placed items underneath the bridge. I did take more out of the debris pile, I didn't get everything, but with all of the trips I did take most of the plastic bottles out.

Before heading back to the car I took a walk down the canal. With the rain there wasn't anyone else on the path which made it nice. 

I took one path down to the river and the riverside here was horrible. Plastics lined every foot of the bank. There is so much work to do everywhere and too few people putting time into doing it. Where are those from Easton who care about the river? How can a whole city have no one that cares enough to do anything about it? 

Back at the car with the final back pack full of trash. Would have collected more on this round had I brought more bags with me. 

This was the total haul for the day. There shouldn't be this many plastics in any of our rivers and the majority of this was just from a single debris pile. We all need to do more to clean up our rivers and natural areas. Not really looking forward to cleaning out the car tomorrow. 

Along the canal the only small bird that allowed me to get close was this Yellow-Rumped Warbler. 

This years goslings are getting large. This family was slowly swimming down the canal. 

You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project here: Help Fund Taking Out the Trash

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