The literature said it all: Keeping Symmes Creek clean since 1977. That’s what a group of volunteers have done for almost 40 years.

Saturday was no different despite the hot and humid temperatures as about 10 canoeists launched their boats into Symmes Creek at the Chesapeake boat ramp for the annual canoe caper.

Their goal was to get rid of some of the trash that is dumped into the creek during the year.

This time one of the biggest and most unique pieces of trash volunteers pulled out was a window unit fan dumped along the creek bank.

Since the volunteers, who usually meet the first Monday of each month at Lake Vesuvius, have started their restoration campaign, they have developed six launch sites starting at Arabia and ending at Chesapeake.

Recently Rolo Construction added a helping hand by reducing the steepness of the site at Aid.

“They made the waterway more navigable,” Joe Benning, chair of the Symmes Creek Restoration Committee, said.