People can be slobs. And at a section of the Missouri National Recreational River in South Dakota, state and federal officials are trying to get people to stop being slobs at a popular section of the river known as Burbank Beach.

The stretch of river is considered to be one of the most pristine and beautiful access points in southeastern South Dakota. Known to some as the Burbank Beach, the Bolton Game Production Area and river access in the Missouri National Recreational River is a popular destination because of its remoteness, extensive river beaches and sandbars, and the abundance of wildlife including bald eagles, deer, turkey, Piping Plovers, and butterflies and dragonflies.

However, litter like bottles and aluminum cans, potato chip bags, candy wrappers, and beach chairs are left behind for the next visitor to see. Litter affects the environment for wildlife that depend on the river for life and for the people who depend on it for recreation purposes.

The Bolton river access is in the lower 59-Mile District of the Missouri National Recreational River, a unit of the National Park Service, and nationally recognized as a wild and scenic river in the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Last weekend, staff from South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks and the National Park Service collected up to 12 bags of trash from the sandy beaches of the Bolton Game Production Area.

“For anyone that has spent time in that area will agree it's a unique bit of paradise that should be respected and not degraded,” said Rick Clark, superintendent of the national recreational river.

The consumption of alcohol at the beach is a great concern with the two agencies that have been monitoring the misuse of the area. The NPS in partnership with SDGFP has instituted a newly formed sand bar closure in the nearby area of the Bolton Beach to prohibit the consumption of alcoholic beverages. This effort will hopefully help curb some of the litter issues the two agencies have been dealing with and to prevent incidents including discharging of weapons and a spinal cord injury from a shallow dive that both happened on one weekend.

“We all have a responsibility to reduce the impact on the places we love,” said Clark. “Following Leave No Trace Principles can help minimize our footprint and help the wildlife that call our recreational spaces home.”