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'What The Muck?!?' Volunteers Join Together To Clean Lake Elizabeth Ahead Of Summer Season

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Volunteers are taking advantage of the beautiful spring weather to take part in one of Pittsburgh's messiest volunteer events.

"What The Muck?!?" is sponsored by Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy in partnership with Allegheny Cleanways.

It sends people out to clean up Lake Elizabeth in Allegheny Commons Park on the North Side.

 

The area always churns up lots of dirt, debris, and, of course, muck over the winter months. A small snapping turtle was even found covered in mud Tuesday morning.

The volunteers spent time Tuesday morning wading through the mud to get the lake ready for the summer months.

"So basically, the city of Pittsburgh drains the lake every year and then the Parks Conservancy organizes a volunteer event to clean up all the organic matter that falls into the lake throughout the year," Erin Tobin, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Community Engagement Manager, said. "Because if we don't, it creates algae blooms in the warmer months and then the lake smells really bad during the summertime. So we do this every spring so that the lake can be nice for the summertime."

Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy will host another day of volunteering Wednesday, April 7.

For more information, visit this link.

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