Efforts Underway To Clean Up Mississippi River Beaches

A work crew is spending a week on a Mississippi River island to eradicate invasive plants and poison ivy as part of a state and federal effort to clean up beaches along the waterway.

The La Crosse Tribune reports the WisCorps conservation team is working with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to clear up nearly 20 beaches between La Crosse and Brownsville.

The seven-person crew will use chainsaws, loppers and herbicide to get rid of the unwanted plants. The department is paying WisCorps $5,000 for the work.

The effort is a joint venture of the department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in response to public complaints about brush and weeds at campsites.