The 30th annual River Day took place today with activities ranging from kayaking to history walks to removal of invasive species.

At Tinkers Creek in Warrensville Heights, about a dozen people collected close to 20 bags of trash, including numerous basketballs and old tires.

The creek is a tributary of the Cuyahoga River and the clean-up there was organized by Jacki Zevenbergen. She’s with the Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District, and says that she’s focused on educating people to continue the river’s improvement.

Zevenbergen on the Cuyahoga River's comeback

“Now what we’re finding out is, we still have to worry about what’s moving across the land. And that’s based on what every day people do: whether or not they pick up pet waste, whether or not they litter, whether they try and do things to slow down the stormwater so it doesn’t overrun the system.”

Zevenbergen adds that the Soil & Water District hosts clean-up events throughout the year, as well as programs including water quality monitoring workshops. The next one is Thursday night in Rocky River. More information is available here.