Sangamon River's first cleanup set for Saturday

MONTICELLO– For more than a century, people have used the Sangamon River near Monticello as a dumping ground.

Kim Erndt, watershed organizer for the Prairie Rivers Network, says the rolling river is littered with debris.

"Up and down the Sangamon River you'll see larger items, such as appliances, refrigerators, stoves, microwaves and televisions," said Erndt. "You'll find tires, furniture, trash and all sorts of stuff. A long time ago, a river was a place people went to dump stuff. People didn't take their stuff to the dump 20, 30 years ago; they took it to the river."

Some area residents intend to take the first step toward converting the Sangamon River once more into a clean waterway.

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