The Deschutes River is important to every part of Bend’s economy. From the water it delivers to farmers, to the fish who call it home, the river is a way of life in Bend. For these reasons, river lovers come together every spring to clean up and give back to the river, as part of the annual Deschutes River Cleanup. At the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, we believe that community education is at the core of long-term conservation and watershed protection. With our public awareness campaign, #EnjoyProtectRespect, we seek to raise awareness about impacts to the health of the Deschutes River. The Deschutes River Clean-Up is a special day for watershed stewards of all ages to get their hands dirty and their feet wet to remove harmful weeds and in-stream debris and clean-up litter along the Deschutes River. The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council coordinates the Deschutes River Clean-Up each year to engage business partners, river users, and community members in hands-on stewardship activities on the Deschutes River. Recreation use of the river has increased dramatically over the past few years and, unfortunately, so too has the amount of debris that ends up in the river. Volunteers will meet at Riverbend Park. River clean-up activities will take place in the Deschutes River and along its riparian areas between Slough Campground and Drake Park.