So many coves, and so few staff. That's the problem at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, where they're looking for volunteers to help keep the lake's coves clean.
"The adopt-a-cove program is a great way for individuals, families and groups to show their community support for a cleaner, greener environment," says Nancy Bernard, volunteer coordinator for Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area's adopt-a-cove program gives those with a sincere desire to keep the recreation area clean an opportunity to make a difference. Volunteers assist the National Park Service by participating in three scheduled litter cleanups per year in their adopted cove. Program coordinators are especially looking for volunteers from the Las Vegas, Searchlight, and Laughlin/Bullhead City areas.
Cove adoption agreements last for one year.
Those interested in the program should contact Jennifer Winston at 702-293-8711.
Comments
About a month ago our troop did the canoeing merit badge at the lake. We go around Govt Wash area as it is convienient to get the canoes into and it has boat access. But it is also a HEAVILY used area as well. We arrived at about 8:30 in the morning and immediately put out the camp fire left by the previous group, handed out gloves, trash bags and proceeded to clean the area we would use. 8 trash bags later, it was useable and fairly clean. The area was about 25 yds across and15yds deep. Went back this past Thursday evenning and it looked worse then we first used it a month ago. Sad state of affairs when the majority no longer care enough to pick up after themselves and those that do take their trash are in the minority.
Kudos to you and your group, Jimhiker. Back when I was a Boy Scout we did a similar cleanup at a provincial park in Ontario. Seems like there's not enough good guys around to handle the clean up these days.
My kids and I have started going to a couple of coves near Nelson, Nevada. We drive there. The first day we went, we got there pretty early, around 10 AM, and we were the only ones there, but there was SO MUCH TRASH, for such an otherwise beautiful setting! Lots of broken bottles, I was afraid to let my dogs run there, even. We decided to come back early the next morning with trash bags and dive masks, and clean up both the shore and underwater areas. We aren't even FROM Nevada, we are visiting from California. We gradually changed our minds later in the day, as cars full of "kids" (teenagers, mostly) arrived, drove right onto the beach area, blasted their stereo with music with vulgar and obscene lyrics, and set about littering like they have never thrown anything away properly in our lives. We then decided that we didn't really want to clean up so that morons like that could come back the next day or week and mess it up again! I would love to be able to turn them in for littering, etc. We have since found another cove, harder to get to, cleaner, with much less trash. We clean up there a little bit every day we go, and it is staying pretty nice looking! Today on the way out we saw police cars and a tow truck hauling up a car that went over the cliff on the way to Nelson's landing. I couldn't help but hope it was one of the car loads of morons. Sorry, but they have no business ruining a place that we should be preserving for future generations!