Because of the unsightly debris in the Kishwaukee River and in NIU’s East Lagoon, the Recycling Station is initiating a clean-up project April 26.

The starting point will be the restaurant It’s Greek to Me, 223 W. Lincoln Hwy., and will travel to First Street, said Sandy Delery, Recycling Station director. After the workers have finished their job at the Kishwaukee, they will travel to the East Lagoon and continue removing debris there, she said. The project is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., she said.

The major reason for cleaning the Kishwaukee is to remove the “junk” that is unsightly, said Jim Grosklags, Biological Science assistant chairman. “People casually throw things all over the place. It looks like a dump,” he said.

Another reason for cleaning these bodies of water is to remove obstructions that could induce flooding, Grosklags said. Trees and branches that catch at bridges produce a dam that can cause flooding, he said.

The clean-up crew mostly will be removing snags, such as large logs and branches, as well as shopping carts and old tires, Grosklags said.

Geology Chairman Don Davidson said because there is an insufficient amount of waste in the water, cleaning the debris will not have a geological effect on the river.

The Recycling Station has asked other student organizations to help remove the unsightly material from the river and the lagoon, Delery said.

She said some students have committed themselves to helping, but more student help is welcome. “Hopefully there will be a good turn out,” Delery said.

In addition, because the station is a restitution site for students who must serve punishment to NIU, student judicial workers will be helping with the clean-up, Delerey said.

The station will be receiving some equipment, such as waders, from the NIU Anglers Club, a fishing organization, so students can walk in the water and grab surface material, Delery said.

In previous years, DeKalb clubs, instead of student organizations, cleaned the Kishwaukee each year of new debris formed on the river, Grosklags said. Also, the club used to clean the river in the spring, but the date was moved to the fall because of flooding, he said.

The Recycling Station is a Student Association-funded organization. It was established in 1976 as a spin-off of “Earth Day” that was sponsored by the university, Delery said.

The station recycles newspapers, glass, computer paper, aluminum and soon it will be accepting plastics, Delery said.