5/22/17 – 5:10 A.M.

Ottawa residents did their part to clean up an area near the Blanchard River over the weekend. The Lima News reports volunteers teamed up with the Blanchard River Watershed Partnership to clear a stretch of the river’s bank near the west side of Ottawa.

The group planned to remove trash along the river, but ended up clearing overgrown areas after Friday night’s heavy rains.

Village councilman Tim Macke told the newspaper, “we’re just hitting a little percentage of what needs to be done.” He added that the area needs more widespread use of things like cover crops to protect the river’s water quality.

MORE: Lima News