For the third year, we are gearing up for another BIG cleanup on April 13! While it’s obvious to most that river cleanups improve the quality of our water, we’ve discovered that they do much more than that. Cleanups are also a great way to develop a sense of “river community” – this is your chance to volunteer and be part of this community.
CRK, National Park Service and Trout Unlimited have joined together to organize this multi-site cleanup within the 48 miles of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. We will be tackling 13 Park Units and paddling eight segments.
Our inaugural cleanup resulted in 2.76 tons of trash with 1,500 pounds of material we recycled – all with the support of over 360 volunteers. Last year, we picked up 3.81 tons of trash, 1.2 tons of which were recycled, with the assistance of 445 volunteers.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES HERE. For more information, contact Outings Manager Tammy Bates at tbates@chattahoochee.org.
Below is a breakdown of the duties ...
VOLUNTEER ASSIGNMENTS:
Volunteers are labeled Walkers, Waders, and Paddlers. Each site has a capacity and will close once we reach that capacity – so register early! All volunteers will receive a Sweep the Hooch water bottle!
WALKERS are land-based volunteers who will pick up trash and perform trail maintenance. At some sites, walkers will specifically target invasive non-native vegetation (such as privet).
• The following locations are available for walkers:
McGinnis Ferry, Island Ford, Gold Branch, Johnson Ferry, Cochran Shoals/Powers Island, Sope Creek, Paces Mill/Rottenwood Creek (sponsor site) and Whitewater Creek.
WADERS are volunteers equipped with waders or wading boots and are needed at select sites. These volunteers will collect trash from the shallow water areas, and from areas on the river bank which are accessed most easily from the river and streamside trails. Volunteers must provide their own waders.
• The following locations are available for waders:
Bowman’s Island, Settles Bridge, Jones Bridge, Island Ford and Whitewater Creek.
PADDLERS will be utilizing kayaks and canoes and traveling between 3-5 miles per segment. Kayaks/Canoes are useful in collecting debris from portions of the river which will not be accessed from the land side. Volunteers must provide their own kayaks and/or canoes. Need to rent? Click here to view a list of local outfitters.
• The following locations are available for paddlers:
Buford Dam (Lower Overlook) to Settles Bridge (5 miles), Settles Bridge to McGinnis (4 miles), Jones Bridge (Fulton Side) to Garrard Landing (4 miles), Garrard Landing to Island Ford (5 miles), Island Ford NW, River Right (in and out), Azalea Park (in and out), Morgan Falls Park (above dam, in and out), Johnson Ferry to Powers Island (4 miles) and Powers Island to Paces Mill (3 miles – experienced paddlers only) . And we are pleased to add Chattahoochee Bend State Park in Coweta County to the event (3.5 miles).
SITE TEAM LEADS. Each site requires two Team Leaders who can check in volunteers and then provide instruction on what needs to be accomplished at that site. During the registration process, you can select if you want to be a lead. All Team Leads are required to attend the Site Team Lead Meeting on April 10th at 7:00pm at the CRNRA Headquarters. This is important as we will be providing details about the site and also you can pick up your cleanup gear.
TEAMS. We welcome teams, but all volunteers must register individually. During the registration process, you can enter your Team Name.
Child/Youth Participation: We welcome children, but they must be supervised at all times by an adult. While a cleanup is not normally dangerous, it can be to an unattended child. Walkers/Waders: Minimum 10 years of age. Paddlers: If paddling solo, paddler must be at least 15 years old. If paddling tandem, youth must be at least 10 years of age and accompanied by an adult at least 21 years of age.
To learn more about the locations, click here to view a map of the entire CRNRA. Each participant is required to sign the CRK Liablity Waiver. Click here to read the CRK Liability Waiver. This form will be authorized as an electronic signature during the registration process.
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