Friends of Raystown Lake and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), along with 130 volunteers, came together to remove trash and debris from remote areas of Raystown Lake’s 110 miles of shoreline during the annual Raystown Lake Cleanup Day, May 7, 2016.

Despite heavy fog and unseasonably cool temperatures, volunteers collected more than 2100 pounds of recyclables and trash.

The event kicked off at Tatman Run Boat Launch and Recreation Area early Saturday morning. Corps park rangers registered volunteers, provided them with gloves and trash bags, and sent them off on various boats responsible for cleaning individual sections of the lake’s shoreline. 

This is the 28th year that Raystown Lake has hosted Lake Cleanup Day.  Many participants are repeat volunteers with a desire to maintain the health and beauty of their community.  

Among the first wave of volunteers to sign up was Sen. John H. Eichelberger, a native of Altoona, Pennsylvania.

“As I travel around Pennsylvania on the state's business, I hear from many people about Raystown Lake; they comment on its grandeur and the recreational opportunities it provides,” said Eichelberger.  “I was glad to be a small part of preserving its beauty by helping clean up the water's edge again this year.”

In addition to large amounts of plastic and glass, volunteers also collected tires, plywood, and even a computer monitor.  After all of the collected waste and debris was hand sorted for recycling and proper disposal, participants were treated to a celebratory lunch.

Raystown Lake is the largest lake located entirely in Pennsylvania and offers 8,300 surface acres of clear water surrounded by 21,000 acres of forested mountain slopes.  Raystown is a multi-purpose lake constructed and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood risk management, recreation and natural resource opportunities, and hydropower. For more information on Raystown Lake, visit the natural resources program link at http://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/DamsRecreation/Raystown.aspx or call 814-658-3405.  

Friends of Raystown Lake and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), along with 130 volunteers, came together to remove trash and debris from remote areas of Raystown Lake’s 110 miles of shoreline during the annual Raystown Lake Cleanup Day, May 7, 2016.

Despite heavy fog and unseasonably cool temperatures, volunteers collected more than 2100 pounds of recyclables and trash.

The event kicked off at Tatman Run Boat Launch and Recreation Area early Saturday morning. Corps park rangers registered volunteers, provided them with gloves and trash bags, and sent them off on various boats responsible for cleaning individual sections of the lake’s shoreline. 

This is the 28th year that Raystown Lake has hosted Lake Cleanup Day.  Many participants are repeat volunteers with a desire to maintain the health and beauty of their community.  

Among the first wave of volunteers to sign up was Sen. John H. Eichelberger, a native of Altoona, Pennsylvania.

“As I travel around Pennsylvania on the state's business, I hear from many people about Raystown Lake; they comment on its grandeur and the recreational opportunities it provides,” said Eichelberger.  “I was glad to be a small part of preserving its beauty by helping clean up the water's edge again this year.”

In addition to large amounts of plastic and glass, volunteers also collected tires, plywood, and even a computer monitor.  After all of the collected waste and debris was hand sorted for recycling and proper disposal, participants were treated to a celebratory lunch.

Raystown Lake is the largest lake located entirely in Pennsylvania and offers 8,300 surface acres of clear water surrounded by 21,000 acres of forested mountain slopes.  Raystown is a multi-purpose lake constructed and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood risk management, recreation and natural resource opportunities, and hydropower. For more information on Raystown Lake, visit the natural resources program link at http://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/DamsRecreation/Raystown.aspx or call 814-658-3405.