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Moab volunteers remove car wreckage from the Colorado River Daily
On Saturday afternoon, August 26th, 2006 during intermittent rain along the shores of the Colorado River Daily, volunteers made an attempt to remove a long-standing automobile wreck from the place known as "Deadman's Curve."
Located near Milepost 10.5 on the "River Road," or Highway 128, this wreckage is considered impossible to remove conventionally from a highway perched on top of very precarious ledges. The only way to safely remove the wreckage is by boat and with hands-on determination.
The effort was coordinated by John Weisheit of Living Rivers, Jeff Cohen of WabiSabi, and Bob Jones of Tag-A-Long Expeditions. Other organizations and businesses involved included Red River Canoe Company, Canyonlands Film Society, Colorado Plateau River Guides, and Utah Guides and Outfitters.
"This wreckage along the river has been with us since 1982. Though the wreckage has inspired conversations about highway safety for over twenty years now, we think it is time to add appreciation for a clean river to this teachable moment," said Bob Jones of Tag-A-Long Expeditions.
The volunteers first stationed the Tag-A-Long snout rig along the east side of the Colorado River below Salt Creek Rapid. Once the boat was tied securely to shore, volunteers quickly removed the more manageable highway litter, which included an old car chassis, batteries, tires, and furniture.
The main goal, removing a four-door sedan buried in river sediment and cobbles, was then approached by the the volunteers. Jeff Cohen of WabiSabi adds, "We wanted to do something different for the river as a community. Though individuals and groups have diligently removed cans and bottles along the river for many years, we felt it was about time to tackle this obvious eyesore."
While the volunteers were successful in digging the vehicle completely out of the river bank before the sun began to set, moving the vehicle towards the boat demanded another strategy for another day. "We are going to reduce the vehicle into smaller pieces for easier extraction," said Jake Burnett of the Canyonlands Film Society. "Once this is done, we will make another call for volunteers to haul the pieces out by boat."
In preparation for this service project, the volunteers asked for permission from the State of Utah, which has jurisdiction of the Colorado's river bed. Said Bill Zanotti of the Moab Field Office, "David Horsely (Price Field Office) and I inspected the site in May and determined that no accidental environmental damage would result. We are very appreciative that these volunteers are so willing to keep Utah's rivers clean."
Just after sunset, the volunteers gathered around a picnic table to debrief and to enjoy hamburgers and beverages. Said John Weisheit, "This was a very positive experience because it demonstrates that the community is willing to take on bigger projects for the integrity of the Colorado River. Besides this project, the river community is also discussing the removal of exotic Russian olive along the Colorado River Daily as a winter service project."