Volunteers needed for thirteenth annual river cleanup

Volunteers are needed to help clean and preserve the state’s 70,150 miles of rivers and streams during Rivers Alive, a joint program of DNR’s Environmental Protection Division and Keep Georgia Beautiful.ÊRivers Alive targets cleanups across all waterways in the state of Georgia including streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. The mission of Rivers Alive is to create awareness of and involvement in the preservation of Georgia's water resources. This year’s event is expected to, once again, be the state’s largest single volunteer effort to beautify Georgia’s water resources.ÊThe Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages sportsmen’s clubs, civic groups, church groups, businesses and interested citizens to participate in this worthwhile effort.

"Getting citizens involved in protecting Georgia's water resources is key to addressing our current water problems," said Dr. Carol Couch, Director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.Ê"Rivers Alive is a program that gets people engaged by getting their feet wet.ÊThe ability of this program to mobilize volunteers to remove trash and raise awareness is truly amazing and worthwhile."

During the Rivers Alive event, an estimated 25,000 volunteers statewide will stage dozens of cleanups in Georgia’s streams, rivers, lakes and wetlands from the Coosa River in North Georgia to the Okefenokee Swamp in the South.ÊDuring the 2003 River Cleanup, more than 24,000 volunteers cleaned over 1,400 miles of waterways and removed over 380,000 pounds of trash and garbage including tires, children bikes, a safe and a telephone booth from the state’s waterways, according to Kimberly Morris-Zarneke, Coordinator of Georgia Adopt-A-Stream. Morris-Zarneke expects this year’s River Cleanup to involve hundreds more volunteers and to continue to be the state’s largest volunteer effort to beautify Georgia’s water resources.

Sponsors of the event include: Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division, Keep Georgia Beautiful and Affiliates, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Clean Coast, Inc., Clean Water Campaign, The Coca-Cola Company, Columbus Waterworks, Georgia Land Trust, Georgia Project WET/River of Words, Georgia Power, Georgia River Network, International Paper, Lake Lanier Association, Meadwestvaco, National Park Service Ð Chattahoochee Recreational Area, Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center, Peavine Watershed Alliance, and Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper.ÊDozens of other local organizations will be sponsoring individual cleanups around the State.

To volunteer/participate in a local cleanup effort or to obtain more information about the statewide campaign, call 404-675-1636 or go to www.riversalive.org.