The project was founded in 1997 with the objective of cleaning up the Mississippi River. In its first year, 
the project was responsible for cleaning more than 100 miles of shoreline and removing an estimated 45,000 pounds of garbage from the river, the riverbanks and various islands. In 1998 they enlisted additional boats and crew to assist the project. By the middle of 1999, those numbers grew to include an astounding 1,000 miles of Mississippi shoreline and an estimated 200 tons of debris. They have two barges storing the collected garbage throughout the year.
How much does this cost?
The projected cost for 2001, to run the entire operation, which includes equipment and repair, gas, meals, insurance, Adopt-A-Mile and other project expenses, is over $250,000.
What is the next step?
The clean-up efforts of the Mississippi Restoration Project are just the beginning. Now, it's equally important to ensure that the clean-up is maintained, and the banks of the Mississippi are kept beautiful and clean for generations to come. The Adopt A Mississippi River Mile program was introduced in July, 1999, to get individuals, families, businesses and organizations involved in the future health of the mighty Mississippi. In the year 2001, the group will begin removing man-made solid waste from the Ohio River. In 2002 they will target the Hudson River and in 2003 the Potomac River.
What does this all mean?
The importance of clean waterways is common to all of our goals. The neglect of America's rivers is more than an issue of aesthetics in outdoor recreation, but a matter of clean water safety for all the Earth's inhabitants. Improperly discarded wastes and illegal dumping, not only disrupt entire ecosystems and contribute to the contamination of drinking water for all manner of life, but can also lead to the death of a waterway and its tributaries.
