CLEVELAND — The long summer days at the beach are just around the corner; but there's a lot of work that goes into getting the Northeast Ohio beaches ready.
The Cleveland Metroparks works year-round to keep the parks in shape for visitors, but it's during the late winter and early spring months where their work ramps up.
On Monday backhoes and tractors were on the beach at Edgewater prepping for summer. The crew was using the equipment to remove debris that's washed onto the shore.
Matt Krems, a senior parks manager, said his team has seen it all.
"There's a stream of small, plastic debris that just never ends. The larger trash has been reduced a bit with public awareness, but it's the small plastic we see all the time," he said. "The most interesting thing we've seen has been two mannequins. We're not sure if they washed up or someone dropped them off," Krems said.
Krems said public awareness of trash helps to reduce the amount that lands on the beach.
"It comes down to litter. Anything that ends up on the ground eventually will find its way into the waterways and end up on the beaches. So if each individual can lend a hand and throw away their trash it would be a really big help."
During the off-season work, crews also have a lot of work to do with the sand. Due to the northwest winds, about 500 tons of sand is blown off of the beach and towards the parking lot and westbound Shoreway. Crews use tractors to make sure as much as possible is put back.
The clean up work will continue until summer.
