Volunteers clean up Tucker Creek

A Tucker Creek cleanup event in Conway on Saturday yielded dozens of bags of trash and some oddities as a group of 30 volunteers scoured the bed and banks of the creek.

The cleanup of the creek that runs parallel with a walking trail in west Conway was driven by several groups, including the Central Arkansas Rivers Association Stream Team, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and volunteers from Boy Scouts of America, the University of Central Arkansas, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and the American Fisheries Society.

Matthew Irvin, AGFC Stream Team coordinator who was in charge Saturday, said plastic grocery bags were the most common items found in the cleanup.

Volunteer Raven Lawson reported she found some odd items, including a chicken egg and an action figure.

Other volunteers found a wallet containing a valid driver’s license, a mop, lawn chairs, toys, sports equipment, work gloves, shop towels and an umbrella.

Tires and pieces of grocery carts were also pulled from the water and were lying on the banks where the group had passed through Saturday.

Irvin said the creek, despite being littered, is home to many ducks, cranes, fish and turtles.

“This is for them. We want to make sure it’s clean for the fish and wildlife,” he said.

Irvin said AGFC will return in warmer weather to perform water quality tests to ensure the creek meets standards for wildlife.

Jeff Scarborough, who was walking his dog along the creek and trail near the entrance at Salem Road, said he has noticed the areas along the trail have become more littered in the past couple of months.

He said he uses the trail regularly to exercise, and he thanked volunteers for their work Saturday.

Irvin said the group will recycle all plastics, dry paper and metals recovered from the creek.