Arnold's Waldrop Gets City Support to Clean Meramec River

Brian Waldrop, Arnold's nature aficionado, garnered the Arnold City Council's support and the city's equipment to help clean the Meramec River.

"There's a alot of tires and metal visible along the river and near the flood plain," Waldrop said during the Arnold City Council meeting on July 19 at .

The city voted 8-0, in a motion initated Ward 3 councilmen Paul Freese and Phil Amato, to provide trucks and equipment to carry the heavy trash away from the river in Waldrop's annual Clean Stream event on Aug. 25.

Waldrop said the event occurs annually on the fourth Saturday in August.

Volunteers will register at 7:30 a.m. at Arnold City Park then go to designated areas along the river in the park and at Flamm City, Waldrop said.

"I hope there's a limited amount of rain (in Arnold) for the next five weeks," Waldrop said in hopes that Meramec River's water levels remain at near all time lows.

The river's water levels near is 5.6 feet deep at Jeffco Boulevard, says the National Weather Service website.

The river's historic low level is 4.3 feet on March 11, 1989, the NWS website says.

The low water level allows more of the trash dumped into and near the river to be visible.

Removing the trash from the park and river prevents the items from decomposing or rusting and poisoning the environment.