MILWAUKEE — When trash piles up in the three rivers in Milwaukee, the Lynyrd Skymmr is uniquely suited for cleaning it up.
Scott Cassavant is the captain of the vessel. He starts each day with a routine checkup before the cleanup.
“I feel confident that we will be able to perform our duties today,” said Cassavant.
His job is to carry out the Lynyrd Skymmr’s mission, which is to clean, patrol and maintain the three rivers and inner harbor of the Milwaukee area.
He’s been doing it five days a week since 2004. Cassavant said it never ceases to amaze him how much trash can pile up in the Menomonee, Milwaukee and Kinnickinnic rivers.
“It can be sizable and it gets entangled,” he said. “If we were not out here five days a week to get that tree branch before it turns into a beaver dam, you are going to have a bigger problem.”
The Lynyrd Skymmr has been patrolling these waterways for seven years.
It’s a partnership between the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), Veolia Water Milwaukee North America, Port of Milwaukee and the city.
Every year from April to October, it picks up more than a thousand cubic yards of debris. Cassavant believes this work has done wonders for the city’s water quality.
“I go home at the end of the day knowing that we made a difference. It’s not just about the paycheck,” he said. “Believe me, it’s not just about that. It’s a feeling that I am making a difference for patrol, to the environment.”
While not their primary function, the Lynyrd Skymmr crew is also trained in search and recovery.
Cassavant said they have even rescued a few people that fell into the river.
“We are here to serve. We are here to help you enjoy this beautiful natural resource that we call the Milwaukee Rivers and our harbor,” said Cassavant.
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