Genesee RiverWatch’s 2026 river cleanup season got off to a great start Saturday, April 18, with nearly 540 pounds of trash and debris pulled from the river by dozens of volunteers!

The cleanups occurred at two sites.  The first was near the Lower Falls and Seth Green Drive in Rochester. It was co-sponsored by a long-time Genesee RiverWatch partner, the environmental and engineering firm Haley & Aldrich. About 15 H&A employees were joined by a half-dozen of our supporters and community volunteers to tackle the scenic but trash-strewn area near the falls. 

They gathered 13 bags of trash and other debris that weighed in at 207 pounds!

Meanwhile, a separate gathering of roughly two dozen volunteers took place at Genesee Gateway Park, located off Mt. Hope Avenue just south of downtown. Co-sponsors of this cleanup were Walking for Rochester and the South Wedge Planning Committee.

Many of the volunteers walked the riverside trail and nearby sidewalks picking up litter, while a smaller group pulled heavier objects from the water. The latter crew made frequent use of specialized tools that Genesee RiverWatch acquired using a grant from the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation. Special thanks go to the Foundation, whose tools helped us recover, among other things, a shopping cart, a basketball and three orange traffic cones that were lodged in the mud near the river wall.

That cleanup effort gathered 331 pounds of trash! 

Several news outlets reported on the successful events, and in particular, NEWS10NBC was present on-site, documenting the hard work and enthusiasm of everyone involved. Their coverage helped spread awareness about the importance of keeping our community’s waterways clean and encouraged others to participate in future cleanups. You can view their report here: https://www.whec.com/top-news/volunteers-clean-up-genesee-river-at-two-locations-saturday-for-earth-day-weekend/

City crews were scheduled to pick up the refuse. Many thanks to them, and thanks to EVERYONE who helped clean up the river.

We’ll have more cleanup events in the coming weeks and months.  Follow us on our website, Facebook, X, and Instagram to stay up to date on our future activities!

And, as always, donations are welcome to support our activities and events! We appreciate any amount you are able to give — thank you!