Duck Hunters Clean Up Lake Juliette

If you’ve been to Lake Juliette recently, you may have found the waterways, banks and boat ramp a little cleaner. 

On a Sunday in March, 14 duck hunters came together with seven boats. In just four hours, they collected 43 large bags of trash, a boat full of miscellaneous junk and an old picnic table that had floated off from the Dames Ferry Park years ago. 

“It was a great time of camaraderie and a pleasure to share our passion for conservation and give back to the public the ground that we use between September and the end of January,” said Caleb Dunn. “We all left with a sense of pride that we had part in leaving the lake in a much nicer state than what we arrived to find earlier that day.”

Caleb helped spearhead the event with his duck hunting buddies. Once he began to put the plan into motion, he quickly learned that there was plenty of support for the project.

“The Rum Creek WMA Manager offered his assistance and resources to aid our efforts,” said Caleb. “I also reached out to our local Ducks Unlimited chapter, and they provided an extra boat and donated trash bags.  Three Monroe County firefighters got word of the clean-up and quickly jumped at the opportunity to volunteer.  Monroe County EMA also sent one of their rescue boats manned by those firefighters to assist.” 

Caleb said the workday was formulated after hearing complaints of excessive trash and aesthetically disturbing sights coming from visitors to Lake Juliette. It’s great to see that it was a local group of waterfowlers who decided to actually assemble the clean-up day.  

“We put our best foot forward toward cleaning up the mess and providing a healthier environment for the fish and game that rely on the lake for survival,” said Caleb.

“Our goal is to make this an annual event to continue to keep the lake clean and provide a more pleasurable experience for those who use it. Hopefully it will promote environmental awareness for others using the lake and make them conscious of hauling their own trash out rather than leaving it for someone else to clean up. We also have hopes that through our actions, other hunters and fishermen throughout the state will take the same initiative at their local public grounds to properly preserve the area and protect the wildlife.”

If you are interested in talking more with Caleb about helping him at Lake Juliette, or perhaps starting your own clean-up day somewhere, he can be reached at (478) 258-5570.  

“I will be more than happy to share with you the steps I took to receive the support and assistance we were fortunate enough to gain,” said Caleb.