The Huron River Watershed Council is seeking volunteers to get their hands dirty and clean up two stretches of the Huron River Sunday.

Parts of the river near Dexter and Ypsilanti will be the focus of the group’s annual cleanup effort. Volunteers are asked to register in advance for the event and to request a boat if needed by emailing jfrenzel@hrwc.orgbefore emailing.

Last year, the 50 volunteers who gathered in October for the river cleanup day were able to pull a pile of trash out of the Huron the size of a large car, said Jason Frenzel of the Huron River Watershed Council.

Volunteers who need a boat are asked to meet at 10 a.m. Sunday at Schultz Outfitters, 4 East Cross St., in Ypsilanti or at Skip’s Huron River Canoe Livery at North Delhi Road and West Huron River Drive in Ann Arbor.

The types of trash found in the river vary according to community, Frenzel said.

Near Dexter, volunteers likely will find mostly trash that has blown off of roadways and left behind by young boaters that don’t know how to care for the environment yet, Frenzel said.

In Ypsilanti, the trash is more urbanized: Shopping carts, kitchen appliances, water heaters and bicycles have all been pulled from the river in the past, Frenzel said.

The Huron River Watershed Council targets their cleanup efforts to parts of the river that aren’t involved with cleanup events promoted by municipalities.

Low water levels in the river this year will give volunteers better access to trash in the river and on its banks that previously would have been inaccessible.

People can participate in the river cleanup day without climbing into a boat, Frenzel said.

“A lot of people are happy to go out in waders on the shore or the bank of their favorite park,” Frenzel said.

For those that chose to go out in a canoe, Frenzel advised volunteers should wear gloves and personal flotation devices. A complete list of recommended gear is available by clicking here.

For those collecting trash on their own, waste can be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at West Delhi Metropark, 3902 E Delhi Road, in Ann Arbor or at Riverside Park, 5 East Cross St., in Ypsilanti.

There will be a potluck after the cleanup event at 3 p.m. at Schultz Outfitters.

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.