METHUEN — Volunteers for the Clean River Project removed more than 200 tires from a three-mile stretch of the Merrimack River in their latest cleanup.
The group, which routinely pulls debris from the river, embarked on a four-day cleaning blitz. They based their operation on Riverview Circle in Methuen and combed the shore from Lawrence to the Haverhill line.
They found a backhoe tire and some 18-wheeler truck tires, said Rocky Morrison, the group's founder and president.
"We've pulled out two (complete) motorcycles, two frames of motorcycles," Morrison said. "I think one was a Honda, and I couldn't tell you what the other was. It was some sort of vintage motorcycle."
Volunteers also found a washing machine, a stove and a hot water tank, Morrison said.
They had about 10 people helping, and they used a boat and a front-end loader. The Windfield Alloy company of Lawrence let them use a Dumpster for free, Morrison said.
Volunteers found five vehicles in the water. They plan to return with divers in the spring to remove the vehicles.
"The river is getting cleaner every year," Morrison said. "Every mile that we go is a mile cleaner."
