Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Awarded County

YUMA, Ariz. (KECY, KYMA) – Yuma received a major award Wednesday morning for its efforts to clean up the Colorado River.

Voluntary cleanup in August removed more than 11 tons of waste.

This award was presented to Yuma County by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

The person responsible for organizing the cleanup was Yuma County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Sonny Hickson.

Who says the local Yuma Catholic students were a big help?

“We had 48 kids on board, and they were the ones who did all the hard work and got it all done,” Hickson said.

Hickson also received high marks from his boss, Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot.

“He’s done more than a dozen cleanups, not just in Yuma County, but in Foothills and elsewhere,” says Wilmot.

Hickson says it’s nice to be recognized, but he doesn’t want people illegally dumping trash around Yuma.

Especially in popular recreation areas like the Colorado River.

“The area is specifically two miles (two miles) off the road and there’s a solid mobile waste site that people could have gone to and dumped for free,” Hickson said. .

visit Find your nearest waste transfer site on the county website.