Diver Down in TD: Cruz pulls 150 pounds of garbage from Klindt’s Cove floor

The Dalles, Ore., Feb. 23, 2026 — Beneath the calm surface of Klindt’s Cove in the Port of The Dalles, Jo Cruz descended into cold, murky water and emerged numerous times, dragging with him an accumulation of roughly '“150 pounds of garbage” pulled from the bottom.

Working alone and paying for the effort himself, Cruz said he coordinated with Northern Wasco Parks & Recreation before beginning the cleanup dive. He recovered discarded cans, metal hardware and even entire garbage cans partially buried in the sediment. Cruz said abandoned fishing gear, including broken lines and ghost nets were also present. He said ghost nets continue trapping and killing fish long after they are lost, noting many exhist between Klindt’ Cove and The Dalles Dam.

“Maybe if people see me doing this, they will do something too,” Cruz said.

Cruz said he has also conducted cleanup dives in the Columbia and Deschutes rivers, removing fishing lures, lines and other debris that threaten fish and wildlife. For him, the effort is about protecting the river and setting an example — restoring the water one dive at a time.