Iowa DNR photo of junk collected during 2012 Project AWARE.

Iowa DNR photo of junk collected during 2012 Project AWARE.

Volunteers can now register to help the Iowa Department of Natural Resources clean up a stretch of the Des Moines River in north-central Iowa later this summer.

Lynette Seigley is coordinator of the annual effort known as Project AWARE.

“This year’s Project AWARE is going to be on the Des Moines River from Algona down to just south of LeHigh,” Seigley said.

“It’s going to be a 94-mile stretch that we’ll be doing during the entire week.” The expedition is scheduled for July 6 to 13.

This will mark the 11th year for Project AWARE, which stands for A Watershed Awareness River Expedition.

Over the past 10 years, volunteers from across the state have cleaned up more than 780 river miles, removing 242 tons of trash.

Around 70-percent of that trash has been recycled, according to Seigley. During the 2012 event, 387 volunteers removed over 60 tons of trash from 85 miles of the Iowa River through Wright, Hardin, and Marshall Counties. Volunteers who are interested in taking part in this year’s Project AWARE are encouraged to register via the Iowa DNR website.

Seigley notes volunteers can help for a few hours on one day or work the entire week.