The third annual St. Johns River Celebration involved 17 Florida and Georgia counties and nearly 6,000 volunteers in a community effort that collected a total of 306,316 pounds of trash — more than 153 tons — from the river.

‘‘This event is a tremendous success each year in cleaning up the river systems, while also bringing much-needed attention to the importance of protecting Florida’s natural resources,’’ said Henry Dean, executive director of the St. Johns River Water Management District. ‘‘We’re pleased that so many people gave their time this morning to lend a hand to the effort.’’

More than 70 communities along the St. Johns River system sponsored cleanup sites and educational programs to promote a year-round, everyday appreciation for the river and its environmental impact and importance, he said.

Among the most unusual items pulled from the river during Saturday’s cleanup were toilets, front and rear car bumpers, household appliances, fire extinguishers, bar stools, a shopping cart, exercise bike and a mannequin.

Trash collected by St. Johns County volunteers included a lot of car, truck and tractor tires and a 10 feet by 10 feet homemade floating dock, said Margarete Laidlaw, administrative assistant for Public Affairs Director Chris Benjamin, acting chairman for the event.

Twenty-eight shoreline locations were set up as cleanup sites in St. Johns County. Lots of families, boys and girls scout groups and community organizations served as volunteers. Many people brought boats, canoes and their own personal water craft to help drag up trash from the river bed, Laidlaw said.

Theresa Hartley, a member of St. Johns River Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa, worked with six other members of the college honor society at the Riverdale Park location off County Road 13.

‘‘The main thing we pulled out was beer bottles,’’ Hartley said. ‘‘But all in all I was surprised, because there wasn’t as much trash as I thought there would be, and I thought the river looked pretty clean.’’

Though the cool and windy weather didn’t make for the best of days to spend working outdoors, Hartley said all the volunteers at her cleanup site worked hard to make the cleanup a success.

‘‘I plan on doing it every year. It’s a very positive thing to do,’’ she said.

Pieces of metal, cement and cigarette butts were the main things Riverdale Park volunteer Maureen Welch, public relations director for Whitney Laboratory, pulled from the river, she said.

About 30 people, including a Girl Scouts troop, worked with her at the Riverdale Park cleanup site, she said.

‘‘I was surprised to see so many people there in this weather,’’ Welch said. ‘‘I think this is a great educational way to teach people to appreciate the river. It’s a magnificent body of water.’’

Volunteers received free T-shirts and were invited to attend a luncheon celebration of barbecue pork sandwiches, chips, cold drinks and homemade baked goods at the Trout Creek and Collier Road cleanup site.

St. Johns Wildlife, St. Johns County Adopt-A-Road, the Watershed Volunteer Action Group and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, which provided free fingerprinting identification for children, were among the information and display booths set up at the site, Laidlaw said.

Musicians Robin Bach and Keith Tew provided entertainment and inspiration by playing guitar and singing amplified folk music.