Volunteers make a difference at Renew Our Rivers cleanups in Alabama
Some of the 100 volunteers who worked to remove trash from Jefferson County's Valley Creek and its surroundings last weekend. Trash along streets and curbs would otherwise make its way to the creek. (Michael Sznajderman / Alabama NewsCenter)
Glorious spring weather was a bonus this past weekend at the seven spots where Renew Our Rivers volunteers fanned out to make a difference, collecting trash and debris from along Alabama waterways.
In Jefferson County, the spring Valley Creek Cleanup drew more than 100 volunteers, including members of the Alabama Power Service Organization, to five communities along the urban stream that flows into the Black Warrior River.
In Eufaula, more than 80 volunteers came out to support the 17th annual Lake Eufaula Cleanup. The event was sponsored by the Friends of Lake Eufaula.
The cleanups last weekend signaled the start of the 2022 Renew Our Rivers schedule. More than 30 cleanups are planned through the end of the year across the state. Alabama Power coordinates with multiple volunteer organizations to support the long-running campaign.
On March 4, ahead of last Saturday’s Eufaula community cleanup, Alabama Power, in conjunction with U.S. Coast Guard volunteers and volunteers from Eufaula’s St. James Episcopal Church, picked up 35 loose dock floats at Lake Eufaula. Brad Moore, coordinator for the Eufaula cleanup, said most of the floats had washed up on the shoreline, but several were picked up in the open lake. “Those in the open lake were definitely hazards to boats,” Moore reported.
Cleanup operations for Lake Eufaula were conducted out of Old Creektown Park and the Thomas Mill boat launch. About 6 tons of trash was collected around the shoreline, Moore said.
Volunteers came from the local 4-H Club, churches, the Leo and Lions clubs, the Eufaula Police Department and the Coast Guard Unit Eufaula, along with individuals and students.
Moore said volunteer Isaac Vernon won the “Most Unusual Piece of Trash” award for bringing back “literally the kitchen sink” as part of his collection. Co-sponsors of the Eufaula cleanup included Alabama Power, the city of Eufaula Parks and Recreation Department, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Phil’s B-B-Q.
More than two dozen organizations support Jefferson County’s biannual Valley Creek cleanups, which take place in the spring and fall. Cleanups last Saturday took place at Adger and Providence, in unincorporated Jefferson County; around McNeil Park in Bessemer; near the municipal complex at Lipscomb; and in the Five Points West area of Birmingham. A sixth cleanup is scheduled for March 12 in the Oak Grove community. For more information about the upcoming Oak Grove cleanup, click here.
At the Five Points West site, volunteers fanned out in Birmingham neighborhoods south of Valley Creek and the Birmingham Crossplex athletic facility. The goal was to remove trash along streets and curbs that would otherwise make its way to the creek. Alabama Power provided garbage bags and trash pickers for use by the volunteers at all the Valley Creek cleanup sites.
Hana Berres, with Jefferson County’s stormwater management program, praised Alabama Power and all the partners for the successful multi-site cleanup.
“It was an exciting day for the Valley Creek watershed,” Berres said, adding that less trash on the streets that washes into the creek means less water pollution.
“Our communities are so grateful for Alabama Power and the Renew our Rivers program; they offer vital resources to help communities in their volunteer litter-cleanup efforts,” Berres said.
“We’re excited to kick off Renew Our Rivers 2022 with so many great partners,” said Mike Clelland, who coordinates Alabama Power’s participation in the community-driven cleanups. “We look forward to adding to Renew Our Rivers’ positive impact with this year’s great lineup of cleanups.”
Renew Our Rivers got its start in 2000 as a community cleanup organized by Alabama Power employees at Plant Gadsden who wanted to reduce litter along the Coosa River. Today, Renew Our Rivers is among the nation’s largest river system cleanups. To date, more than 16 million pounds of trash and debris has been removed from Southeastern waterways with the help of about 120,000 volunteers. Learn more about Renew Our Rivers here.
