Volunteers remove 1 ton of debris from diverse Indiana river

WINAMAC, Ind. (AP) - A northern Indiana river that's considered one of the nation's most ecologically diverse waterways is significantly cleaner thanks to a group of volunteers.

About 50 volunteers pulled more than one ton (900 kilograms) of trash and debris from the Tippecanoe River last week during a cleanup that began near the Tippecanoe River State Park and extended downstream about 20 miles.

Volunteer Beth DuBois tells the Pharos-Tribune those who donated their time to the cleanup "want to keep our river clean for the next generation."

The Nature Conservancy ranks the Tippecanoe River among 10 U.S. rivers for preservation due to their ecological diversity and high proportion of endangered species.

The conservation group says the Tippecanoe is home to four of Indiana's 12 state-endangered fish species and nearly 50 mussel species.

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Information from: Pharos-Tribune, http://www.pharostribune.com