Agency set to clean up Chain O' Lakes, Fox River

Flooding along the Fox River and Chain O' Lakes in the past year has Fox Waterway Agency officials preparing to collect more items when volunteers clean up shorelines Saturday.

After being delayed due to weather in early May, the 8th annual Fox River and Chain O' Lakes Clean Up is scheduled for 8 a.m. to noon, said Mike Lovergine, chairman of the agency's advisory board.

Crews expect to find a lot of large items that were swept away in floodwaters in June and September 2008, and from the high water in April, he said.

"Tires and logs and larger tree stumps, we are going to see more of because of the floods," Lovergine said. "But normal garbage shouldn't be more than we have noticed in the past."

More volunteers are expected to help this weekend. Rotary Clubs from Lake and McHenry counties have pledged volunteers to help with the project.

"The more people, the cleaner our lakes will be," Lovergine said. "The volunteers didn't come out as much as in the past because of the weather last year, so we should be able to clean up more this year."

Dumpsters at drop-off locations have been filled beyond capacity following the event in years past.

Anyone interested in volunteering should sign up at one of five locations at 8 a.m. Saturday. The locations are: The Broken Oar, 614 Rawson Bridge Road, Port Barrington; Captain's Quarters, 38283 N. Bolton Place, Antioch; CJ Smith Resort, 25315 W. Grass Lake Road, Antioch; Haling's Resort, 26365 W. Lotus Road, Antioch; and the Fox Waterway Agency, 45 S. Pistakee Lake Road, Fox Lake.

Participants will have to fill out a liability waiver, and will receive a T-shirt, garbage bags and gloves.

After registering, they will be dispatched to several designated areas.

"People will either drive to those areas, or will be taken by boat to the areas where the worst is," Lovergine said. "Also, people with boats should feel free to head out to registration areas and sign up, then take off to the areas they wish to clean."