National Public Lands Day Lower Salt River Land & Water Cleanup

Hike along the riverbanks & trails picking up trash or bring your paddle board or kayak to help us pick up trash volunteers on foot cannot reach.

Everyone is welcome, including youth volunteers when they are accompanied & supervised by a parent, guardian, or adult group leader. We would be happy to sign off on service hours or provide a Confirmation of Volunteer Service letter for youth volunteers.

Sign-in: 7:30-8:00 a.m. | Safety Briefing: 8 a.m. | Cleanup starts: after safety briefing

End time: 11:00 a.m. We will wrap up with a free volunteer raffle, volunteers will receive a raffle ticket when they sign-in. Must be present to win. If you or your organization would like to donate to the raffle, please contact us (info below).

Please arrive before 8am so you can park and turn in your paperwork before the safety briefing starts at 8am. We will also be giving away FREE Public Lands Day Passes from NEEF to volunteers when they sign-in, while supplies last.

Volunteer Paperwork: We will email you volunteer paperwork as we get closer to the event. Please print the form, fill it out, and bring it with you to save time. We'll have extras at sign-in. If you need it sooner, email Nicole at [email protected]

Event Staging Location: Phon D Sutton Recreation Area, Fort McDowell, Arizona

Directions: Everyone is meeting at Phon D Sutton Recreation Area in the large parking lot for sign-in, safety briefing, and game plan for the morning. When you arrive at Phon D, take the 2nd left into the second section of the first parking lot. Look for our signs and check out the screen shot from Google Maps below.

Once you park, walk over to the shaded picnic area towards the back of the parking lot to turn in your volunteer paperwork at the green Natural Restorations tent. Plan your route ahead of time in case we are in a spot where we can’t get cell signal.

GPS Coordinates: 33.545795, -111.659794

***Do not use the EventBrite map to get there, it could send you to the wrong location. Use the GPS coordinates above to get to the event staging location***

Plug the GPS coordinates above into your phone or mapping system, or search Phon D Sutton Recreation Area, Mesa, Arizona. Plan your route ahead of time in case we cannot take your call.

Once the safety briefing is done, everyone is going to spread out. You can stay at Phon D Sutton or you can go up or down river to another recreation site if you are familiar with the area & have a favorite spot you want to clean or you want to explore a new recreation site.

Volunteers on foot: volunteers can explore the trails and riverbanks at Phon D Sutton or head out to other recreation sites along the river. We do ask that you bring your trash back to the dedicated dumpster at Phon D so we can measure our impact with the dumpster weight. Volunteers can head up to Water Users, Pebble Beach, Blue Point, Sheeps Crossing, Goldfield, Coon Bluff, or go down to Goldfield. Lots of options for everyone!

Volunteers with kayaks & SUP’s: bring your kayak or SUP to help us remove trash that volunteers on foot cannot reach around Phon D or you can head up to Goldfield to float down the river picking up trash. We do not recommend going up to Pebble Beach or Sheeps Crossing because this is a shorter event & you won't have time to stop for trash in order to get back to Phon D by 11am. Please plan your own shuttle & remember your Personal Flotation Device (PFD), it's required by law to at least be on your vessel.

What to wear: Check the forecast before you head out so you can be prepared & dress accordingly. It's going to be hot, please wear comfortable clothing & shoes that can get dirty, muddy, and possibly wet if you choose to go in the mud or water. Wear thick-sole & closed toe sturdy shoes for safety (no flip flops/sandals). Anyone on a SUP or kayak should wear water shoes. Wear a hat, sunglasses for eye protection, and sunscreen. UPF clothing & neck cooling wraps are a great option in the heat!

What to bring: please bring a reusable water bottle or hydration backpack. We will have water coolers full of ice water for you to refill your bottle or pack. If you are floating down the river, ensure you have enough water for your entire trip. We will provide gloves, bags, trash grabbers, & the dumpster. You are welcome to bring your own gloves & grabbers if you have them. If you would prefer to use a bucket, you're welcome to bring a bucket for trash but you will need to walk it to the designated dumpster each time it's full & having it in a bag will keep trash from blowing out of the dumpster. Put masking tape with your name & number on any tools you bring.

*If you have any allergies that you carry an epi-pen and antihistamines for, please do not forget to bring them with you. This is a wilderness area along the Lower Salt River so it’s best to prepare for anything.

If you have water shoes, waders, or an old pair of shoes, this would be a great time to use them. If you prefer to stay on dry land, that's totally fine.

Snacks: We will have light snacks for volunteers, including fruit. If you have any dietary restrictions, you may want to bring your own snack. You could bring a small cooler in your vehicle with cold beverages and snacks if you'd like. If your business would like to bring out beverages, snacks or lunch for volunteers please contact Nicole at [email protected]

Athletic Brewing Co. Donation: Through NEEF, our NPLD event was selected event to receive 96 cans of Athletic Brewing’s award-winning non-alcoholic brews and DayPack sparkling water for volunteers, while supplies last.

Tonto Recreation Pass: You do NOT need one to participate in the event! If you plan to stay after the event, please purchase a Tonto Recreation Site. There is a kiosk at recreation areas along the river. We will keep you posted if it ends up being a fee-free day in celebration of National Public Lands Day, but you do not need one for our event.

Bathrooms: There are vault toilets open to the public at recreation areas along the Lower Salt River.

NR Merch: We will also have Natural Restorations branded items available for a donation. Natural Restorations is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Gilbert, Arizona and 100% of the proceeds go towards our Restoration Programs on the Tonto National Forest.

Youth Groups: If you need youth registration paperwork ahead of time for parent/guardian signatures, please email Nicole at [email protected] and we will email them over to you.

Groups: Please have your group leader email Nicole at [email protected] for a group sign-in sheet to save time the day of the event. The group leader can get everyone in their group signed in then one person can turn the sheets into us at the registration table.

If you have any other questions, please click on the CONTACT button at the bottom of this page or email us at [email protected]

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