Photo provided by USDA Forest Service Forest Service staff and volunteers removed boatloads of trash during a past Allegheny Reservoir Cleanup Day.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service announced Tuesday the twentieth annual Allegheny Reservoir Cleanup Day will be held on Saturday, May 11.

The event, hosted by Allegheny National Forest and its partners, is seeking volunteers to assist in the removal of trash from the watershed. The deadline to sign up is Thursday, May 2.

Volunteers are asked to arrive before 8 a.m. at the Highbanks Campground, located at 1370 West Bank Perimeter Road, Steamburg, N.Y. Volunteers will be given supplies including trash bags and gloves. It is recommended that participants bring layered, weather-appropriate workwear, including rain gear as the cleanup will occur, rain or shine. Hotdogs, chips and beverages will be provided at the end of the day. Participants are encouraged to bring snacks and drinking water.

“Our reservoir cleanup days would not be successful without all the hard work of our many dedicated volunteers,” said Allegheny National Forest Aquatic Ecologist Nathan Welker.

Since 2005, almost 5,500 volunteers have donated more than 48,000 hours, removing about 1,000 cubic yards of trash from the reservoir. Items removed include television sets, microwave ovens, lawn chairs, refrigerators, 55-gallon drums and more than 17,500 tires. Countless bags of recyclable glass, plastic and aluminum have been removed, as well as almost 160,000 pounds of recyclable metal (nearly 80 tons).

To register as a volunteer or for more information about the twentieth annual Allegheny Reservoir Cleanup Day, visit the Allegheny River Cleanup website, via https://alleghenyrivercleanup.com/ or email info@alleghenyrivercleanup.com.