Volunteers help clean historic waterway

Participants look at some of the items collected from the Rainbow River on May 17, 2025, during the 41st annual Rainbow River Cleanup, which is sponsored by Rainbow River Conservation, a nonprofit aimed at protecting and preserving the waterway. [Submitted photo]

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Posted May 20, 2025 | By Andy Fillmore, [email protected]

The 41st annual Rainbow River Cleanup on May 17 saw scores of volunteers fan out on the water and dredge up items like a discarded “SLOW: NO WAKE” sign.

The cleanup was sponsored by Rainbow River Conservation, a Dunnellon nonprofit with a stated mission in part to “protect and preserve the water quality, the natural beauty, the riverbed, and the flood plains of the Rainbow River.”
“This is a chance to do our part to keep the Rainbow River pristine and gather with like-minded people and make connections,” said Bill White, a former Dunnellon and RRC vice president.

White said even with increased traffic on the river, awareness and possibly enforcement may be factors reducing refuse on the river.
The Rainbow River, which is a designated National Natural Landmark, Florida aquatic preserve and Outstanding Florida Water, runs for 5.7 miles from the headsprings at Rainbow Springs State Park until it intersects with the Withlacoochee River near downtown Dunnellon.

About 125 volunteers, ranging in age from 8 to 85, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, according to White, headed out Saturday morning from Rio Vista park north of Dunnellon in watercraft from kayaks to pontoon boats to collect debris and show their concern for keeping the river area clean.

Early arriving volunteers included RRC Secretary Madie McCafferty who set out on the river in a kayak with her dog, Josie, and Lisa Cisniewskl from Morriston, who said it’s “incredibly important” to preserve the ecology of the state’s beautiful sites.

Marie Delise Lund, a “fifth generation Floridian” related to one of the founders of Dunnellon, was a passenger on a pontoon boat provided by RRC and driven by Curtis Reed, on his 20th cleanup.

Reed said he has seen “less junk” in the river while Lund expressed concern about hydrilla on the river.

“My input is the river has remained clean through the last decade. I did not view to much of the debris trailer, however I think it’s pretty remarkable that a bag was found with someone’s cell phone, wallet, etc., all intact. My concern is the hydrilla growth in the areas where the sunshine is in the river. It gets thick and can choke boat motors, clogs the rivers flow stream and unbalances the ecosystem. It does not grow in deeper waters because it needs sunlight,” Lund said.

According to citizenportal.ai, the Citrus County Legislative Delegation spoke about a “restoration of the Rainbow River and the ongoing Septic to Sewer Project in Citrus Hills” and the “effort to combat invasive aquatic plants in the Rainbow River.”

“A representative from the Homosassa River Alliance detailed a grassroots project focused on removing hydrilla, a problematic plant that disrupts water flow and contributes to the growth of harmful blue-green algae” and “hand raking” of the riverbed was discussed, according to the website.

Dee Melghe, who was taking the names of volunteers on Saturday, praised a Marion County ordinance that bans disposable containers on the river.

According to library.municode.com, Marion County Ordinance Sec.5-52 states that “possession of food or alcoholic or nonalcoholic beverages on Rainbow River in disposable containers shall be unlawful. Paper sacks, boxes, breakable plastic utensils, paper napkins and towels are prohibited on Rainbow River.”

Additional passengers on the RRC pontoon boat included retired medical doctor Mark Knapp and his wife, Debbie Knapp, five-year veterans of the RRC event.

“This yearly event is a wonderful example of the citizens of the community coming together to support their most precious resource, the Rainbow River,” Mark Knapp said.

Fay and Jerry Rogers, both with RRC for more than 35 years, helped make food for a luncheon for the cleanup volunteers.

“I saw some steps, some tin roof (type) material and a lid from a large storage container,” Fay Rogers said of items hauled in by the volunteers.

The 2025 Rainbow River Cleanup Awards included:
• Most harmful item: A bundle of pressure treated lumber with exposed nails, found by Mary Calma
• Largest amount: Cans, paper and packaging, brought in by Rod and Jayce Jones
• Largest individual item: A full sheet of sharp, galvanized roofing metal, found by Dalton McGowan
• Most unusual item: A waterproof case containing a driver license, cellphone and personal identification, located by Windi Adams

To learn more, go to rainbowriverconservation.org