Published April 7, 2025
Trash in rivers is an increasing problem – we can all pitch in to help
Guest blogger: Perry V. Richter
The arrival of spring after a long, freezing winter is bringing warmer temperatures, brave flowers, budding trees, and, of course, a whole lot of activity. Walkers and cyclists get out onto trails around the Miami Valley. However, one thing that isn’t so exciting will also show itself as snow and ice melts: trash.
Meaghan Crowley is one such trail user who notices all of this trash along and in rivers around Dayton. She regularly bikes next to the Great Miami River, into downtown Dayton and sometimes to Eastwood MetroPark and as far as Yellow Springs.
“So most of the time, it’s more of an issue because I have to go around it if I’m on my bike, so I’m not running over trash,” she says. “Or it can be at a very surface level, kind of like an eyesore. So it just doesn’t look nice, you know?”
A 2020 study of rivers published by the Yale School of the Environment found that aquatic species are increasingly settling on plastic rather than natural habitats. Animals that get tangled up in trash can suffocate or drown while many end up accidentally eating it. Harmful microplastics contain toxic chemicals and invasive species also enjoy transportation from debris to other areas where they can take over native species.
Much of the plastic that’s found in our oceans originates in rivers just like those around Dayton.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, trash that makes its way into our waterways is often garbage that is littered on the ground and blown or flooded into storm drains, streams, and rivers.
“So much of our trash in rivers is there because of ‘general littering’ – and not due to river-specific behaviors,” says Jonathan Horn, the H2Ohio Rivers Program Manager. H2Ohio is a program dedicated to protecting and improving the water quality of rivers across the state.
Where there are more people, there’s going to be more trash, and that’s also an important part of the problem.
“In the warmer months, when more people are using the trails, and I think if there aren’t visible garbage receptacles, that’s maybe where you might see more trash,” says Crowley. “I think a lot of times people tend to do what’s easy in life, which for better or for worse, is sometimes what happens.”
Common items found along and in rivers include disposable food containers, plastic bottles, bags, cans, and fishing line. Another big one is tires. Old tires often make their way into rivers, and become a serious problem once they are there. A single tire can produce thousands of mosquitoes a year.
Some mosquitoes in the Dayton area in recent years have been found to carry diseases such as West Nile Virus, a rare, serious disease. Only about one in five people who are infected get a fever or other symptoms, and about one out of 150 people develop a serious, or possibly fatal, illness.
In addition, tires pose a serious fire threat, and are obviously not a very pretty sight.
HOPE NOT LOST
But while the problem of trash is very real, hope is not lost in the drive for cleaner rivers.
A host of programs and volunteering opportunities are available across the river systems to help reach the goal of a healthier environment.
“The H2Ohio Rivers Program dedicates a portion of its programming to removing trash from rivers and streams,” says Horn.
“It funds grants to canoe liveries for river cleanup projects, spearheads the removal of illegal riverside dumps, provides grants for innovative high-impact trash removal and coordinates removal of trash from river features that concentrate trash, like ‘strainers’ and backwater areas.”
Another program is Clean Sweep of the Great Miami River, an effort dedicated to cleaning the Great Miami River watershed.
“We try to make The Clean Sweep of the Great Miami River extend to the whole river with sections beginning up in Indian Lake and going all the way down to Hamilton County. I coordinate the volunteers for the entire endeavor,” says Linda S. Raterman of the Miami Soil & Water Conservation District, who’s also a coordinator for Clean Sweep.
“My section in Miami County consists of the Troy area and I usually get about 60 to 70 volunteers at my section.”
The Clean Sweep program removed 266 tires from the rivers in 2024 – slightly less than in 2023 – and the total tonnage of trash in 2024 was 9.75.
“Actually we’ve been seeing a bit less, which is good!”
But Horn notes, “One thing we do know is there is more trash in our rivers and streams than there should be – and everyone can pitch in to clean up.”
For Crowley, seeing litter on the trails “can take you out of that full nature experience.”
She says that when our paths are clear and our green spaces are free of trash and litter, it helps us connect better with nature, and ultimately the world around us.
“Green spaces are where community members come together, and by creating a clean and, like, yeah, litter free environment, it makes, like, that experience a lot better,” she says.
“And a better place for people to make connections and come together in community with each other.”
About the author: Richter is a 13-year-old, eighth grade student at Stivers School for the Arts. One of her favorite activities is spending time outdoors.
