NILES — When February’s flood tore through southwest Michigan it took with it loads of debris and garbage, sweeping them up into the St. Joseph River, where the items might remain for decades. But thanks to a group of dedicated divers, the water will get a deep cleaning this Saturday. 

The Michigan Underwater Divers Club and Wolfs Marine will host an Ecology Dive starting at 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in Riverfront Park. Divers will be searching the water north of the French Paper Dam up until the railway.

Donald McAlhany, the spokesperson for the Michigan Underwater Divers Club or MUD, said he’s eager to see what this year’s volunteers can uncover. This will be the third year that the dive is conducted in Niles, the club also removes trash and treasures from other local bodies of water and takes ice dives every New Year’s holiday.

Last year, about 15 volunteer divers removed 2,000 pounds of metal from the St. Joseph River — this does not include the weight of all the other garbage that was pulled from the water. The city provides a dumpster for divers to use. Iron, steel and other metals are taken to the dump and volunteers can get some money back for the items, which go back to MUD to help defray club costs.

And while divers can almost always expect to find plenty of cans, bottles, tires, shopping carts and bicycles in the river’s depth, they also have found guns, safes, cash registers and a host of other odds and ends, including some treasured items. For McAlhany, who has been diving for 42 years, he said his favorite find was a 6-foot replica Viking sword, decorated with fake jewels that he found in the St. Joseph River in Niles. The weapon is on display at a dive shop in Benton Harbor.

“It’s really interesting, because I started looking for the armor and the horse,” McAlhany joked.

While it’s fun to see what they can find, McAlhany said the Ecology Dive provides serious benefits to the water and those who enjoy it. If it is a body of water that people swim in, McAlhany said the dives reduce the number of things that people could step on or get snagged on in the water.

“The second aspect is that some of the items, like you might get a car battery, you really want to get pollutants out of the water,” McAlhany said.

Safety is key to every successful dive and each person in the water is debriefed on river conditions and items to watch out for. A first aid station and qualified individuals are also on standby to provide aid if needed.

Following the flood there are additional dangers that McAlhany said divers must be aware of.

“You have a lot more hazards now,” McAlhany said.

With the erosion of the river bank, divers will now have to be careful not to get snagged in exposed root balls, which can create cavities on the side of the river. In the middle, McAlhany said they expect to see more logs and debris. Divers will also have to be cautious of “strainers,” where water can pass through something like a shopping cart and create a kind of vacuum that can catch the novice diver or kayaker in a forceful current.

When they hit the river Saturday, McAlhany said only expert divers will be permitted to go into the depths of the water and faster current areas, due to these hazards. McAlhany said the river is one average about 6 feet deep. 

McAlhany said volunteers are welcome to participate, whether they can dive or not. He said those wishing to dive must have their scuba certification card/ document or current log book and a sign a liability waver. Those who cannot dive can still provide shore support by helping to haul the items away and put them in a dumpster.

“It’s nice to have someone help haul your gear out,” McAlhany said.

Those interested in helping are asked to wear substantial footwear and heavy-duty gloves. Volunteers do not need to register prior and can just show up to the event to help. For more information, contact muddydiver@aol.com.