Mike Birmingham (foreground) and Jerry Rupert from Iowa State University remove a tire from the Turkey River during the 2011 Project A.W.A.R.E. (A Watershed Awareness River Expedition). The event celebrated its ninth year July 9-16 with an expedition down the Turkey River and its two main tributaries, the Little Turkey and the Volga. More than 400 volunteers removed 38 tons of trash and debris from the scenic northeast Iowa waterways. Ninety-seven percent of the collected garbage - mostly scrap metal and tires - was recycled.
