MILTON — If the Blackwater River seems different, it probably has something to do with the Blackwater Pyrates.
The group pulled an estimated 4,000 pounds of trash — including heavy decking and floatation material — from the river April 30 during their 10th annual Pyrate River Cleanup.
The Pyrates annually clean the waterways for Earth Day, according to Ralph “Captain Dragon” Palmer.
Roughly 11 boats and 50 Pyrates participated in the four-hour clean-up, which covered about 5 miles of river, amounting to 10 miles of shoreline and islands, from the Navy boat docks near Whiting Park down past Robinson Point, according to Doug “Rumfront” Lasater, the Cleanup Event Captain.
“This was probably our best year,” Lasater said. “We gathered close to 4,000 pounds of trash that included everything from storm-damaged docks pieces that are set adrift by storms to fishing gear and camper parts. It’s amazing what finds its way into our local waters.”
The Pyrates’ efforts extend to removing derelict boats left in the river, 16 so far removed “in coordination with Florida (Fish and) Wildlife (Conservation) Commission and Santa Rosa County,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Blackwater Pyrates remove 4,000 pounds of trash from river