Thumbs up: To the volunteers who fanned out in York City and waded into the Codorus Creek Saturday for some heavy duty spring cleaning.

A collaboration of Keep York Beautiful, the city, local businesses, neighborhood associations and other groups, York's annual Spring Clean Up targeted areas including residential neighborhoods, the downtown business district, city parks and the railroad corridor between Roosevelt Avenue and Newberry Street.

Some 200 volunteers with garbage bags spent about three hours clearing the streets and sidewalks of litter.

"It can actually make a pretty big impact," said Jim Gross, the city's director of public works. "It is amazing what you can accomplish in a few hours' time."

South of the city in New Freedom, the York County Conservation District teamed with New Freedom Heritage to clear trash, vegetation and sediment from the Codorus Creek.

Dozens took part in the Stream Rehabilitation Project, which was needed because storm runoff and an increase in impervious surfaces has accelerated erosion of the creek's bed and banks, according to Sue Myers, a Stream Team Committee leader.

More eroded soil, or sediment, has entered the bed, increasing chances of flooding. It's a problem that's been happening for years, she said.

"We want to improve the health of the stream for ecological health, which makes water run cleaner and be better for aquatic life," Myers said. "It will help with the flooding capacity. We're improving the aesthetics by removing non-native exotic plants and replacing them with native plants to improve the natural habitat of the stream."

Both projects were quite impressive feats; a round of applause to all who helped.