The 2025 Morse Waterways Cleanup marked a new milestone in community collaboration and environmental stewardship.
Thanks to the dedication of volunteers, local partners, and the Morse Waterways Association (MWA) board, this year’s event was the most successful and efficient cleanup in the history of the reservoir.
The effort began on Friday, July 18, with an expanded pre-cleanup operation led by Duke Energy volunteers and supported by Thomas Docks. Crews worked to remove logs, debris, and trash from around the town and Boathouse docks. MWA volunteers coordinated boat transfers, shoreline retrieval, and cutting operations, while Northwest Towing & Recovery provided tri-axle dump trucks to haul materials to GreenCycle.
A strategic change – unloading the Thomas Docks barge on Friday instead of Saturday – helped streamline operations and reduce congestion. By day’s end, eight full truckloads of logs had been removed from the reservoir.
Photo courtesy Mike Berry
On Saturday, July 19, the official reservoir Cleanup Day, community members showed up in force. Boaters, jet ski owners, and property owners delivered a steady stream of debris to Red Bridge Park, where volunteers continued shoreline removal and processing. The Town of Cicero assisted with final hauling the following Monday and Tuesday, resulting in 13 single-axle dump truck loads of logs cleared from the reservoir.
This massive effort wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of key partners, including Duke Energy, Bestway Disposal, Thomas Docks, GreenCycle, Northwest Towing & Recovery, Edward Jones, and the Town of Cicero.
A strong volunteer team from Duke Energy consisting of Mark LaBarr, Kristin Gung, Kathy Davis, Gavin Morgan, Ryan Delphia, Jackie Hernandez, Jason Myers, Scot Shaw, JD Cox, Nathen Nguyen, and Travis Krick were on hand for the heavy lifting. Special thanks go to Shannon Fiddler, Terry Cooper Jimmie Hunter, Dan Derda, Mike Berry, and the many volunteers who gave their time and energy. And above all, heartfelt gratitude to Dave Vanette and Art Hall, whose leadership and coordination made this event a true community triumph.
As the scale of this project continues to grow, so do the costs. MWA relies on donations to cover hauling, park restoration, and grant-writing efforts for future dredging. To support this vital work, contributions can be made via PayPal at morseh2o.org or mailed to Morse Waterways Association, P.O. Box 422, Cicero, IN 46034.
Together, MWA is preserving the beauty and health of Morse Reservoir – one log, one boatload, one volunteer at a time.
Mark your calendar for next year’s cleanup from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 18, 2026. Morse Waterways Association encourages everyone who lives on and around the reservoir to be involved in helping to keep this valuable amenity clean and safe.
To be included in the list for future notifications of all news and schedules related to the cleanup, email Dave Vanette at vanetteda@hotmail.com.
Photo courtesy Mike Berry