Citizens Clean Up Comptons Creek

Get down, get wet, get muddy. Friends and staff of NY/NJ Baykeeper, Bayshore Regional Watershed Council, Friends of Pews Creek, and Middletown Environmental Commission got together on the morning of Saturday, May 31 to do thier part for Comptons Creek in Belford New Jersey. They met at 9am at Church Street wearing boots, waders, old sneakers and clothes destined for the industrial washing mashine or trash can. No volunteer was left un-muddied.


Twenty to thirty volunteers got down into the banks of Comptons Creek and, armed with plastic bags and rope, removed a stunning mass and variety of trash from the creek, its banks and the surrounding vegatation. Carted away at the end of the day were bags and bags of plastics, bottles and small trash. Also hauled forth from the marsh and grass and mud were several bicycles, fifty gallon drums, tires of all sizes, a water tank, parts of fencing, plastic containers holding gas and oil, coolers, buckets, lots shoes and sneakers, parts of boats, balls and toys, car parts, lumber of many shapes and sizes and lots of items seemingly left there just to puzzle the finder.

An interesting and, yes, fun time was had by all. By shortly after 1pm the collected bounty was sorted and stacked by the side of the road to await the arrival of the local department of public works and removal to the appropriate recycling centers and landfills.

Thanks to all the citizens and volunteers who showed up to pitch in.