Adopt-A-Highway
When....
Next Highway Clean Up - 23 April 2023 "new date"
8:00 am to 1:00 pm "time change"
Are you looking for a VOLUNTEER event to celebrate EARTH DAY?
You may remember the 2022 Earth Day: 3 volunteer groups walked 6 miles of roadway filling hundreds of bags. By the end of the day, both sides of Highway 522 between Echo Lake Road and Paradise Lake Road were lined with those white bags. It was quite a site to see!
Consider joining fellow members of the Echo Lake Community as we don orange vests and hard hats and take to Highway 522 with our white plastic bags!
When: Sunday, April 23rd from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm "updated"
Important information about the Adopt-A-Highway program is at the bottom of this page
If you want to help but April 22nd doesn't fit your schedule, another event will be scheduled for Echo Lake Road: Details will be posted here.
Join the team...Feel the pride
If you would like to part of this stunning Adopt-A-Highway team next time, now is your chance to sign up. You will have the inside track to the details and plans.
Thank You
"Please know how very appreciate I am for all the volunteers who make this community a lovely place to live. Curtis and I drove 522 yesterday and commented on all the white bags and how clean the roadway looked."
Carolyn
24 April 2023
ELC Adopt-A-Highway program launched April 22, 2022
We did it! The Echo Lake Community team picked up 71 bags of trash along a one mile stretch of SR 522 resulting from 47 volunteer hours. It was a wonderful day. Everyone felt good to have contributed to cleaning up our section of the highway. This was our first Adopt-A-Highway event. Our leader, Janet Macher, had everyone organized, briefed and safe for the event. We had 10 neighbors filling bags with trash and three support staff in vehicles. This was the first of many events to cover our section of SR522. Our adopted section of highway now looks great. Thanks to everyone that participated. Below are a few pictures from the day. Two more events occurred in 2022: May 21st 48 bags were collected by a team of 12 resulting from 40 volunteer hours. September 17th 37 bags were collected by a team of 9 volunteers resulting from 18 volunteer hours. That is a lot of trash from a dedicated group of individuals who came together to beautify the Community. A big THANKS to our volunteers who made a difference for many who travel the very busy Highway 522!
Tribune Newspaper Article
SNOHOMISH COUNTY — Echo Lake Community Group president Janet Macher was seeking an activity to forge bonds in her isolated, rural neighborhood.... Click here for the full article...
WSP Investigating Bones
Who Else Is Tired of the Trash?
We live in the Evergreen State and enjoy the beauty of the Puget Sound region, especially close to home. It seems wherever we look there are trees, mountains, streams and... people & cars. When we see roadside trash, it chips away at our pride and the beauty that surrounds us. For some it invokes anger towards those that litter.
There is a statewide program to address this problem and you can help!
The Adopt-A-Highway program allows us to be part of the solution and restore the pride and beauty of this corner of our community. State route 522 is like many other roads and sees trash littering the highway shoulder. We can change that by participating in the Adopt-A Highway program. The program is sponsored by Washington State Department of Transportation; however, the organization and coordination are handled by our program director, Janet Macher.
Please contact Janet (info@echolakecommunity.org) if you have questions.
You can sign up HERE for this import event with your Email and get updates as the day approaches.
Participants
On the day of the event, we will meet at a designated place and volunteers will sign release forms before we go out on the Highway. Sign up to receive more details which will be emailed to you prior to the event. You will also be notified of future events.
We welcome families & students to join in the volunteer effort however the Adopt-A-Highway program has a minimum age limit of 15 years.
You can sign up HERE for this import event with your Email and get updates as the day approaches.
Other local groups will be joining us for this event
“The Dirtbaggers” and the “Snohomish Slayers” will each be taking a two mile stretch of 522. Altogether, we will clean-up a three mile stretch of 522 both East & Westbound.
This total effort will make an enormous difference. That is six miles of trash... gone!
Working with other nearby groups is part of our mission and part of our commitment to make this part of the county better.
Our Part of State Route 522
We in the Echo Lake Community are responsible for the section of highway between mile post 18 - 19 on both East & Westbound and the on & off ramps at Echo Lake/Fales Road. That translates to two miles of road around the intersection to Echo Lake and Fales Roads.
For safety reasons the state will take care of the median. It is also not advised volunteers walk across the overpass on foot.
Equipment
WSDOT provides us with safety vests, hard hats and garbage bags. Organizers will put out traffic signs, cones and a temporary strobe light to alert drivers of our presence during the event.
All participants must supply their own gloves and PPE. Sturdy waterproof shoes are suggested and dress for weather. If you want, you can purchase litter pickers/grabbers at most hardware stores.
Safety
Volunteer help is greatly appreciated, but safety is the number one concern and it is everyone's number one job. The Adopt-a-Highway program has an outstanding safety record, and they would like to keep it that way.
All clean-up efforts MUST BE organized by the designated program Manager. If you would like to help organize future events, let us know! There will be 4 events each year. Contact us to find out when the next event is planned: info@echolakecommunity.org.
All volunteers are required to watch the New Volunteer Safety Training Video and read through the WSDOT Safety Tips before picking up litter. On the day of the event, volunteers must complete registration form and provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination (per 21-14.3 Vaccine declaration requirement). Volunteers are also required to use the safety gear provided by WSDOT while working alongside the highway.
For More Information
Echo Lake Adopt-A-Highway program handout
New Volunteer Safety Training Video
You can sign up HERE for this import event with your Email and get updates as the day approaches.
Please contact Janet (info@echolakecommunity.org) with any questions.