National Public Lands Day Lower Salt River Land & Water Cleanup

Hike along the riverbanks & trails picking up trash or bring your paddle board or kayak to help us pick up trash volunteers on foot cannot reach.

Everyone is welcome, including youth volunteers when they are accompanied & supervised by a parent, guardian, or adult group leader. We would be happy to sign off on service hours or provide a Confirmation of Volunteer Service letter for youth volunteers.

Sign-in: 7:30-8:00 a.m. | Safety Briefing: 8 a.m. | Cleanup starts: after safety briefing

End time: 12pm We will wrap up with a free volunteer raffle beginning at 11:30am & will wrap up no later than 12pm. Volunteers will receive a free raffle ticket when they sign-in. Must be present to win.

*If you or your organization would like to donate to the raffle, please contact us (info below).

Please arrive before 8am so you can park and turn in your paperwork before the safety briefing starts at 8am. We will be giving away FREE Public Lands Day Passes from NEEF to volunteers when they sign-in, *while supplies last.

Volunteer Paperwork: We will email you volunteer paperwork as we get closer to the event. Please print the form, fill it out, and bring it with you to save time. We'll have extras at sign-in! If you need it sooner, email Nicole at [email protected]

Event Staging Location: Phon D Sutton Recreation Area, Fort McDowell, Arizona

Directions: Everyone is meeting at Phon D Sutton Recreation Area in the large parking lot for sign-in, safety briefing, and game plan for the morning. When you arrive at Phon D, take the 2nd left into the second section of the first parking lot. Look for our signs and check out the screen shot from Google Maps below.

Once you park, walk over to the shaded picnic area towards the back of the parking lot to turn in your volunteer paperwork at the green Natural Restorations tent. Plan your route ahead of time in case we are in a spot where we can’t get cell signal.

GPS Coordinates: 33.545795, -111.659794

***Do not use the EventBrite map to get there, it could send you to the wrong location. Use the GPS coordinates above to get to the event staging location***

Plug the GPS coordinates above into your phone or mapping system, or search Phon D Sutton Recreation Area, Mesa, Arizona. Plan your route ahead of time in case we cannot take your call.

Once the safety briefing is done, everyone is going to spread out. You can stay at Phon D Sutton or you can go up or down river to another recreation site if you are familiar with the area & have a favorite spot you want to clean or you want to explore a new recreation site.

Volunteers on foot: volunteers can explore the trails and riverbanks at Phon D Sutton or head out to other recreation sites along the river. We do ask that you bring your trash back to the dedicated dumpster at Phon D so we can measure our impact with the dumpster weight. Volunteers can head up to Water Users, Pebble Beach, Blue Point, Sheeps Crossing, Goldfield, Coon Bluff, or go down to Granite Reef. Lots of options for everyone!

Volunteers with kayaks & SUP’s: bring your kayak or SUP to help us remove trash that volunteers on foot cannot reach around Phon D, paddle Phon D to Granite Reef if you have a shuttle ride, or head up to Pebble Beach, Blue Point, Sheeps Crossing, Goldfield, or Coon Bluff to float down the river picking up trash. Make sure you leave yourself enough time to stop & pick up trash & still be back to Phon D by 11:30. Please remember your Personal Flotation Device (PFD), it's required by law to at least be on your vessel.

*FREE SHUTTLE RIDE FROM SALT RIVER TUBING TO PEBBLE BEACH*

Salt River Tubing is providing a free shuttle ride from Phon D to Pebble Beach for volunteers who make a reservation in advance with Natural Restorations. Spaces are limited & reservations close on Thursday, September 24th at 8pm or when the last spot is reserved. Email Nicole at [email protected] to reserve your spot! Spots are limited!

*Paddle boards can be any length, but fins need to be removed for the shuttle ride.

*You must arrive between 7:30am & 7:50am to check in with Natural Restorations and then we will direct you to Salt River Tubing so you can get your board loaded before 8am. After our 8am safety briefing, you will walk back to the shuttle to load up. Please do not arrive at the last minute, we have a schedule to keep for Salt River Tubing & will not wait if you're late.

What to wear: Check the forecast before you head out so you can be prepared & dress accordingly. It's going to be hot, please wear comfortable clothing & shoes that can get dirty, muddy, and possibly wet if you choose to go in the mud or water. Getting in the water is a great way to stay cool during the event. Wear thick-sole & closed toe sturdy shoes for safety (no flip flops/sandals without heal straps). Anyone on a SUP or kayak should wear water shoes. Wear a hat, sunglasses for eye protection, and sunscreen. UPF clothing & neck cooling wraps are a great option in the heat!

What to bring: please bring a reusable water bottle or hydration backpack. We will have water coolers full of ice water for you to refill your bottle or pack when you run out. If you are floating down the river, ensure you bring enough water for your entire trip. Please take hydration seriously in these temperatures & bring a lot of water with you!

We will provide gloves, bags, trash grabbers, & the dumpster. You are welcome to bring your own gloves & grabbers if you have them. If you would prefer to use a bucket, you're welcome to bring a bucket for trash but you will need to walk it to the designated dumpster each time it's full & having it in a bag will keep trash from blowing out of the dumpster as well as keep animals out of it. Put masking tape with your name & number on any tools you bring.

*If you have any allergies that you carry an epi-pen and antihistamines for, please do not forget to bring them with you. This is a wilderness area along the Lower Salt River so it’s best to prepare for anything.

If you have water shoes or an old pair of shoes, this would be a great time to use them. If you prefer to stay on dry land, that's totally fine.

Snacks: We will have light snacks for volunteers, including fruit. If you have any dietary restrictions, you may want to bring your own snack. You could bring a small cooler in your vehicle with cold beverages and snacks if you'd like.

*If your business would like to bring out beverages, snacks or lunch for volunteers please contact Nicole at [email protected]

Tonto Recreation Pass: You do NOT need one to participate in the event! If you plan to stay after the event, please purchase a Tonto Recreation Site. There is a kiosk at recreation areas along the river. We will keep you posted if it ends up being a fee-free day in celebration of National Public Lands Day, but you do not need one for our event.

Bathrooms: There are vault toilets open to the public at recreation areas along the Lower Salt River.

NR Merch: We will also have Natural Restorations branded items available for a cash, card or tap donation. Natural Restorations is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Gilbert, Arizona and 100% of the proceeds go towards our Restoration Programs on the Tonto National Forest.

Youth Groups: If you need youth registration paperwork ahead of time for parent/guardian signatures, please email Nicole at [email protected] and we will email them over to you.

Groups: Please have your group leader email Nicole at [email protected] for a group sign-in sheet to save time the day of the event. The group leader can get everyone in their group signed in then one person can turn the sheets into us at the registration table.

If you have any other questions, please click on the CONTACT button at the bottom of this page or email us at [email protected]

Event venue & nearby stays

Lower Salt River at Phon D Sutton (GPS: 33.545795, -111.659794), 33.545795, -111.659794, Fort McDowell, United States

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