More than 100 volunteers donned their wellies and waterproofs for a Big Clean Up of the River Holme.
And the event has been hailed a huge success with dozens of items dredged from the river including a mattress, iron grates and a traffic cone.
Organised by Holme Valley Vision – in response to feedback from their village survey – the Big Clean Up is the one of a string of events to unite all community groups and improve the area.
Margaret Dale, who helped organise the event, said: “It went brilliantly. We were absolutely overwhelmed by the turnout with over one hundred volunteers.
“We had people of all ages involved.
“Children were in the shallow end and adults in the deeper stretches of the river.
“We had dozens of bags filled with rubbish and many items looked like they had been there for years.
“We had a mattress, a metal cage and iron grates.
“We had come prepared in case there were syringes in the water but thankfully nothing was found, which was a relief.”
Keep Britain Tidy supported the Big Clean Up donating tabards and badges for children and Kirklees Council provided gloves.
But there was a reward for event-goers after the clean up, with a family fun afternoon with activities and a barbecue.
Other groups which took part on the day included Holmfirth Enterprise and Development group (HEAD), Holmfirth Civic Society, Rotary, local church and Scout groups.
Holme Valley Vision is a project run by residents and community groups designed to give everyone living in the Holme Valley a chance to have a real say in shaping the future.
The project has three phases and will end in the delivery of a community plan.
