protect your lake
how to start a lake clean-up
lake clean-ups are one of the simplest ways to give back to the water—and keep lake life going for the long run.
you’ll find organized events through local park districts and national groups, but you don’t need to wait for one to pop up. anyone can start a lake clean-up and make an impact on their local waterway.
below is a quick breakdown of how to plan your own lake clean-up.
every little bit helps
whenever you’re out on a kayak or stand-up paddle board, make it a goal to bring back at least three pieces of garbage each time you go out. every little bit counts!
to build up a lean, mean lake cleaning machine, set a date, time + meeting place and start spreading the word.
- contact your local boat dealership to see if they are interested in participating or if they could help support purchasing the materials needed
- create a Facebook event group to centralize communications and encourage more participants
- post about your #LakeCleanUp on your lake’s Facebook group (if there isn’t one already, create one and invite your neighbors)
- invite neighbors on the lake, post about your clean-up on social media, start a group text with friends on the lake, etc.
- reward your awesome job cleaning the lake with a group shred session
here’s what you’ll need
- kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, pontoons, ski boats — the more you have out there with you, the better
- floatation device for each person on the water — you at least need to have it strapped to your kayak or paddle board
- trash bags — think large, contractor size
- trash pickers — these are essential; you can grab them at a nearby hardware store
- buckets with holes drilled through the bottom — you’ll likely have to drill holes yourself
- disposable gloves — you don’t know how long that thing has been sitting in the water
- water — bring along reusable bottles; remember to stay hydrated!
- vehicle — you might need to haul trash to a local dumpster
best practices
- use buckets instead of trash bags while you’re out on the lake — once you get back to land, dump any excess water from the buckets and grab those trash bags
- have larger boats with you (e.g., pontoons, barges, wake boats, etc.) as a centralized hub to support the team — use the boats to dump the garbage in the buckets into the trash bags
- again, grabbers are essential
- keep in mind that some of the items you find are recyclable — try to recycle what you can
- send photos to your local lake association for promotion and inspiration
- take photos — tag #LakeCleanUp and email shots to hello@lakeloversclub.com
our goal is simple:
more people on the water, doing it the right way, for a long time to come.
“after a storm, i drive our ski path to pick up any large debris. i’ve seen skiers hit branches and it’s not pretty. having a community-wide lake clean-up day is a great way to encourage others to more regularly maintain safe waterways. let’s all work together to keep our lakes clean!”
lesley gunderson, lake lovers club ambassador