The boats used to help Trash Trackers cleanup Lake Powell at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area/NPS

More than 18 tons of garbage -- including 22 mattresses! -- was collected this year from Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

The 26th season of the Trash Tracker program successfully completed 25 trips this year. Trash Tracker volunteers worked 2,640 hours and picked up 36,239 pounds of trash along 676 miles of Lake Powell shoreline. Some of the most common items included 22 mattresses, 3,210 aluminum cans, 3,727 plastic bottles, 983 golf balls, and 7,863 pieces of spent fireworks.

"Thanks to the dedication and hard work that the Trash Tracker volunteers demonstrate year after year, Lake Powell is a cleaner and more beautiful place to recreate," said acting-Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Superintendent Billy Shott. "The Trash Trackers are an inspiration for all of us to keep Lake Powell clean in 2016 and looking its birthday best for the National Park Service Centennial."

Since 1989, National Park Service volunteers have been participating in five-day houseboat excursions to access remote areas of Lake Powell where they improve the visitor experience by picking up litter. This activity is possible due to the invaluable partnership with Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas, which provides vessels and captains for this program.

"Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas is thrilled to be a partner in the Trash Tracker program," said Kelly Zwierzchowski, district manager of Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas. "Keeping our lake clean and free of debris is so important to the longevity of lake activities and our pristine landscape. We look forward to our continued partnership with the National Park Service and the Trash Tracker program."

Trash Tracker volunteers, from as far away as Hawaii to Florida and everywhere in-between, demonstrate their love for Lake Powell by giving their invaluable time and effort to ensure the beauty of the Glen Canyon landscape. Volunteer Scott Frank, who has boated on Lake Powell for 20 years, found out about the program when he met the Trash Tacker captain at Bullfrog Marina in 2014.

"This trip has opened my eyes to the amount of use and impact the lake receives from recreational use," said Frank. "I was very impressed by people's enthusiasm for going out and doing their part to clean up a beach one can or one bottle at a time."

Anyone interested in volunteering as a Trash Tracker should visit the Trash Tracker link on the park's website.  Applications will be accepted beginning February 1, 2016.

Anyone interested in becoming a Trash Tracker program captain can apply online at www.lakepowelljobs.com. Boat pilots must be able to operate and navigate a houseboat in and out of harbors, around marinas and on the lake, and ensure the safety of the vessel, passengers and crew.