AURORA, Colo. — Hundreds of volunteers gathered Saturday morning to help clean up 11 miles of the High Line Canal.

Aurora Water sponsored the clean-up, on a sunny and mild morning, to reduce pollution and improve the landscape of the canal that’s popular with walkers, joggers and bikers.

The annual clean-up has been going on for more than 20 years.

Michael Raugust and his family have been a part of it for the last few years, so they know that to expect.

“Let’s see, there’s a lot of plastic bottles,” Raugust said. “A lot of glass bottles…just a lot of paper wadded up…a lot of golf balls. “We’ve had a lot of golf balls today.”

His daughter Ashley and her friends even found a traffic barrier in the canal.

The clean-up not only makes the canal and trail look beautiful, but it helps prevent pollution from reaching Aurora’s wastewater treatment plant.

“Walk the extra couple of steps to the trash can instead of making someone else pick it up,” said Ashley Raugust.

That was her message, echoing the sentiments of many of the volunteers.

Their hope is that when they clean up the High Line Canal next year, there will be fewer bags to fill.