On Saturday, June 16, hundreds of volunteers will make their way down to the John Nickell Boat Ramp, located at the end of Ky. 39, at Lock 8 to begin Jessamine County’s portion of the annual Kentucky River Clean Sweep event.
During the cleanup event, participants will pull debris from the river, including discarded soda and beer cans, old tires, fast food packaging and more.
Jessamine County has more miles of Kentucky River frontage than any other county, and each year, environmental-services director Mike Cassidy and his team of Jessamine County Fiscal Court employees focus their Clean Sweep efforts on a different section of that river frontage.
“This year, we’ve chosen Lock 8, where the John Nickell Boat Ramp is located, because it is a very popular spot for boating and canoeing,” Cassidy said.
The Pool 8 area also offers access to the lower portions of Sugar Creek, Paint Lick Creek and Silver Creek, some of the best creeks on the river to fish for largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, according to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“Because it’s so popular, there can be a lot of debris in that area, and our efforts will make a big difference in making sure that citizens can enjoy the beauty of Jessamine County’s portion of the Kentucky River without having to deal with unsightly trash,” Cassidy said. “We’ll cover approximately 17.5 miles of Kentucky River during this year’s Clean Sweep, and as long as we can get it in our boat, we’ll pull anything and everything from the river.”
In addition to JCFC employees, Class D workers from the Detention Center will assist in the cleanup efforts; Cassidy expects to have a minimum of 12 workers participating in the Clean Sweep for approximately 8 to12 hours.
In addition to JCFC and the Jessamine County Detention Center, the event is supported by the Kentucky River Authority, the Jessamine County Road Department and the city of Nicholasville.
For more information about the Kentucky River Clean Sweep, visit www.jessamineco.com or kentuckyriverblueway.com, call 859-881-4545 or “Like” Jessamine County, Kentucky on Facebook.
