16 staff volunteers pulled bags of trash from the Templeton Gap Floodway as part of the first-ever Staff Association Clean the Stream event.
Staff volunteers pulled 23 bags of trash, including metal wire, grocery cart components and half of a shovel, from UCCS’ adopted waterway during the first-ever Staff Association Clean the Stream event.
The event, hosted by the Office of Sustainability, was part of UCCS’ commitment to maintain the Templeton Gap Floodway, which flows next to the UCCS campus and eventually joins the Arkansas River.
UCCS adopted the Templeton Gap Floodway in 2010 through the city of Colorado Springs’ adopt-a-waterway cleanup program. According to research by Dave Havlick, professor of Geography and Environmental Studies, the floodway was built in 1949 after catastrophic flooding submerged 200 Colorado Springs city blocks, destroyed homes and city infrastructure and caused casualties in the waterway’s drainage area. Three times a year, the Office of Sustainability at UCCS invites volunteers to clear debris from this critical resource.
“While pulling a tire or a shopping cart out of the creek feels super rewarding, picking up a single cigarette butt positively impacts the health of our waterways,” said Kimberly Reeves, Interim Director of Sustainability. “And, you can participate year-round by bringing a bag to pick up trash on your neighborhood walks or hikes.”
Those interested in volunteering for future cleanup events can learn more on the Office of Sustainability website.
See photos from the event below.
Kimberly Reeves, Interim Director of Sustainability, gives volunteers an overview of the importance of the Templeton Gap Floodway, which runs to the Arkansas River.
Volunteers walked from University Hall to the The Templeton Gap Trail, which connects to the eastern edge of the UCCS campus.
A critical resource for Colorado Springs, the stream helps to mitigate urban flooding of the kind that destroyed 200 city blocks in 1949.
Staff volunteers were part of the first-ever staff-centric Clean the Stream event, hosted by Staff Association.
The Templeton Gap Trail, along which the floodway runs, connects campus to both the Pikes Peak Greenway and Palmer Park.
Staff and family members worked to clear the grassy regions around the stream of debris.
Volunteers pulled large swaths of fabric and metal from the floodway and the rocky terrain surrounding it.
Jen Furda, Director of Partnerships, Governmental Affairs and Military Liaison, pulls a discarded shovel blade from the stream.
Debris included metal wire, grocery cart components and plenty of litter.
Even litter discarded away from the stream can be caught and carried downstream as rain raises the water level of the floodway.
16 staff and family members participated in the event.
UCCS has committed to cleaning its adopted waterway at least three times a year. The Staff Association cleanup event was the first held in the summer.
“Picking up a single cigarette butt positively impacts the health of our waterways,” said Kimberly Reeves, Interim Director of Sustainability.
Volunteers pulled 23 bags of trash from the floodway.
Staff hauled the bags back to campus for recycling and disposal.
Cale Kennamer, Sustainability Coordinator, with the cart full of litter to be disposed.
The cleanup crew poses with 23 bags of trash pulled from the stream.
The Office of Sustainability staff poses with the collected litter.
Volunteers will return to the Templeton Gap Floodway in the fall for the third cleanup event of the year.
Those interested in volunteering for future cleanup events can learn more on the Office of Sustainability website.
