Who We Are

 Our “home away from home” was created in 2011 and is 150′ x 35′ (under the green roof). The hull was built in 2011 by Yager Materials in Owensboro, Kentucky. The headquarters, dorm rooms and classroom were built by Union Laborers. Our house barge is powered by solar and has a generator for backup and to power our major appliances. In total, the barge has male and female lavatories, one office, a full kitchen (galley), eight bedrooms, multiple closets, a full basement for storage and a 31,000 gallon water tank.

Other eco-friendly features:

• Steel trusses salvaged from a flooded strip club
• Reclaimed barn tin serves as outdoor siding
• Recycled license plate awnings
• Fence posts on upper deck are made from stalk rolls of combine corn heads
• Fencing for upper deck is recycled from steel sheets used to laser-cut farm implement parts
• Railings for spiral staircase made of reclaimed rebar
• Recycled barn board flooring and cabinets in kitchen
• Sustainable bamboo flooring throughout the hallway, bathrooms, and classroom
• Beetle kill pine wood ceilings throughout the entire interior
• Eco-friendly concrete countertops in restrooms
• Incorporated old bridge girders on exterior
• All water conserving faucet/shower hardware
• Energy star appliances
• Tankless on-demand water heater
• All classroom chairs are made from 25% post-consumer waste and are 100% recyclable
• Bedroom carpet made from 25% post-consumer waste
• Interior paint contained no VOCs

(150’x35’) | Built in 1966, the garbage barge is surrounded on three sides with 10-foot high fencing. Almost everything that goes on this barge is recycled at our Recycle Like A Rockstar event.

The garbage barge has an area designated for hazardous materials that we find during cleanups which are properly disposed of each year. It also has several containers which house our tools.

This barge is also where you'll find our infamous "Scary Doll Wall". A fence full of creepy (maybe haunted) baby dolls we've found in numerous rivers.

(110’ x 32’) | This barge has a Broderson IC-300 15 Ton Crane that is able to lift and drop spuds for anchoring the fleet, and is where we store our scrap metal and barge line. We scrap all the metal (proceeds go directly back into operations), and try to repurpose most of the barge line.

The crane is useful in many ways from helping us retrieve heavy garbage we find along the rivers to helping with other aspects of the operation (removing boats from the water for repair, moving heavy pieces of equipment to other barges, etc.). 

(150′ x 32′) | September 2, 2015 we launched our newest barge in Owensboro, KY. This barge is unique because it is the only barge in existence with a built in dry-dock; used to take the M/V River Cleanup out of the water for maintenance, long barge rides, and wintering.

This barge is also equipped with 2 - 35’ tall 9,000 lb spuds powered by electric wenches to further assist with anchoring the fleet. This barge will be moved with the M/V River Cleanup tug, and is home to our John Deere 210G LC Excavator.

Built in 1959, the M/V River Cleanup 2 is 3 stories tall, 54' long, and 24' wide.  It is 1,000 horsepower triple screw, equipped with three John Deere 9.0 L marine diesel engines. 

The towboat mural was created by St. Louis graffiti artists, Adam Sherman & Justin Dirks. The painting features: underwater wildlife, a map of the Mississippi River, and scenes of both rural and urban landscapes to reflect the diversity of the areas we work in! 

LL&W acquired their first legitimate towboat, the M/V River Cleanup, in 2001. This towboat pulled (or pushed) its weight for more than a decade. But as the operation expanded with the addition of several new barges LL&W required more horsepower to push their fleet, in turn outgrowing this towboat.  The M/V River Cleanup 2 was purchased to replace it.

The M/V River Cleanup then spent the next 6 years at the Dubuque River Museum as an exhibit. Until it was decided that there was still use for it! In 2016 Chad decided to build the excavator barge.  This barge would need its own propulsion because it would be breaking away from the rest of the fleet for its own cleanups. A massive overhaul was done to the M/V River Cleanup to make it more suitable for the job.

The boat went through major hull modifications and was shortened to 26' in 2017. In addition to being widened to make up for lost buoyancy.  The modifications make it possible for any suitable LL&W crew member to operate it. 

5 - 30 ft. custom built, aluminum plate boats with custom-built trailers. Powered by four-stroke Honda engines between 90-135 horsepower each.

John Deere 210G LC Excavator. This excavator has a custom Pierce 50' reach grapple bucket. 

Often referred to as "the game changer" this piece of equipment not only gives us the ability to pick up garbage too heavy for pure manpower, but also gives us the ability to unload our full barges with ease (cutting out the middle man)!  

Broderson IC-300 15 Ton Crane. Used to raise and drop the spuds on the crane barge for anchoring the fleet, as well as being a helping hand for other operational tasks such as: lifting heavy garbage finds, removing jon boats from the water for repair, moving heavy equipment between barges, etc.! 

Caterpillar Skid Steer Loader Series 216 - This skid steer was acquired in 2001 and lives on our barges. This machine is still as strong as it was on the day we received it. It is equipped with a grapple bucket that transports garbage and other heavy materials from one barge to another. 

Caterpillar Skid Steer Loader Series 257B - This machine is equipped with tracks that make it suitable for different terrains. We use it primarily at our shop in East Moline, IL. Virtually any attachment can be added to this skid steer making it extremely versatile.  From mowing the grass at our nursery and stump grinding at the I-80 Restoration Project, to swapping out boat engines and reaching the highest shelf at the shop. There's nothing this thing can't handle!