ALGOMA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – As Memorial Day weekend inches closer, a new beach-cleaning machine is hitting the Lake Michigan shoreline.
The City of Algoma bought a surf rake to help improve conditions at Crescent Beach.
On a busy summer weekend, the half-mile stretch of sand can attract about 300 people looking to cool off in Lake Michigan. But throughout the year, wind and waves can leave a mess.
Algoma Public Works Director Matt Murphy tells FOX 11 keeping up with the cleanup is an ongoing effort.
“We were able to come down here and and more or less what we had was a maintainer, or a groomer. We could put a nice finish on it, but it wasn’t picking up any of the garbage, debris, sticks, and stones. The driftwood that washes up.”
Enter the newest weapon in the Algoma beach cleaning arsenal. It’s called a surf rake. The machine has been on the job for about a month.
“It will pick up all the way down to a cigarette butt. A lot of plastic bottles, aluminum cans, just your typical garbage, candy wrappers, and stuff like that. We’re not just burying it, or making a nice smooth finish, it’s actually removing it off of the beach,” said Murphy.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen it up close. I think it’s fantastic,” said Cathy Pabich, Friends of Crescent Beach Committee Member.
Pabich tells FOX 11 the new machine will do more than raking.
“It allows our group to spend more time to focus on other parts of the beach, that the cleaner can’t reach, but we also have restoration projects that include removing invasive plants and adding native plants to the landscape.”
Parks and Recreation Director Sara Robertson tells FOX 11 the rake’s addition to Crescent Beach is a plus.
“We are really happy to have it. We have a beautiful beach, that extends the length of our city, and it draws a lot of people to Algoma, so to be able to use this machinery to help clear of debris, garbage, sticks, has really been beneficial.”
City leaders say beach goers can expect to see the new surf rake in action, about twice a month.
“At the end of the day, you have a lot nicer beach. You’re going to have a lot nicer water quality from it, and I think it does make the beach look a lot nicer,” said Murphy.
The surf rake costs about $45,000. City leaders say a grant from the Fund for Lake Michigan paid the majority, with contributions coming from Community Improvement of Algoma, and the Algoma Committee for Tourism and Promotion.
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