Jack Diehl and Brian Carman. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

Volunteers litter-ally cleaned up during the 16th annual Treasure Coast Waterway Cleanup, hosted by the Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast and the Atlantic Intracoastal Florida Inland Navigation District. Since its 2008 inception, some 13,000 residents have collected almost 100 tons of trash along 125 miles of waterways in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties.

Families, individuals, schools and civic-minded service groups collected a wide assortment of items ranging from straws, plastic bags, cigarette butts and fishing line to appliances, derelict boats and mattresses. In Indian River County, volunteers gathered at the Riverside Park boat ramp, Vero Beach Municipal Marina, Wabasso Causeway boat ramp, Sebastian Main Street boat ramp and Sebastian Inlet Marina before disbursing to locations along the edge of the Indian River Lagoon and on the spoil islands. Locally, 141 volunteers self-reported the collection of .42 tons of carelessly discarded trash that they had removed from our waterways. For more information, visit TCWaterwaycleanup.com.

Photos by Joshua Kodis