Autauga County PALS, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Coast Guard Auxillary, Alabama Power Company, Advanced Disposal Systems & partners, area teaming up to remove litter and trash along the bank.

Volunteers will meet at the Boat Ramp at Strickland’s Landing Road at 8 o’clock on the morning of the 8th. Boats will ferry some volunteers to cleanup along the bank, while others will also clean up along roadways.

GUIDELINES:

We ask our volunteers to be appropiately dressed and protected:

• Rubber boots
• Gloves
• Hats
• Long pants
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent

Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by one parent to board any boat for this cleanup. All volunteers will sign a liability release for this event. First aid, security, and safety will always remain the first priority.

DIRECTIONS:

• Go to Autaugaville on Hwy 14
• South on Autauga St.
• Follow the Autauga County PALS signs to the boat ramp.

CONTACT:

For details, email John-Paul O’Driscoll, or call him at (334) 850-7153 or (334) 358-6749.

On Saturday March 2, twelve hardy souls braved freezing temperatures mixed with dustings of snow and sleet as they picked up trash from the shoreline of Wind Creek Park located on Lake Martin.

The clean up was scheduled after Virginia Spears, Managing Editor of the Alexander City Outlook visited the park on a warm sunny Saturday in late January and while strolling the plentiful beach area of the park observed a large amount of trash that was exposed when the lake was lowered by 10 feet to its winter pool level. The trash included broken glass, plastic bottles and aluminum cans.

Virginia wrote an editorial describing the trash and challenged her readers to organize a cleanup effort.

Being aware that a Water Festival which involved more than 400 fourth grade school children from Alexander City and Tallapoosa County was scheduled to take place in the park April 23rd & 24th, John Thompson, President of Lake Martin Resource Association (LMRA), one of the sponsors of the Water Festival called Sabrina Wood who had responsibility for organizing the Festival. Sabrina is the Coordinator for the Middle Tallapoosa Clean Water Partnership (MTCWP).

Time became a factor. Heavy rains were in the forecast. Lake Martin water levels start to rise in late February and with the expected rainfall the lake would rise rapidly and the trash and glass would be covered again.

A date was selected and appeals for volunteers began. Sabrina wanted to pick up the trash and make note of the amount and the kinds of objects that were retrieved to be included in the Water Festival environmental education.

Even though the volunteers were scarce, the lake level was up 6 feet and the weather was awful, a clean up effort yielded automobile tires, rusted grills, drink coolers, soaked carpet, plastic and glass bottles and many aluminum cans. The most unusual item was a Nintendo game. The total was estimated at one and a half tons.

Volunteers included Alabama Power Company employees David Waites and Marshall Griffin, LMRA Board members John Thompson, BJ Barnett and Larry Tuggle, Tallapoosa Publishing owner Kenneth Boone, Alexander City Outlook editors Austin Nelson and Virginia Spears, Sherry Simpson Alex City City Council and  husband Scott, volunteers Bill Thompson and Robert Iler and Sabrina Wood MTCWP Coordinator.

What: The Renew Our Rivers Mulberry Fork cleanup is scheduled for Friday, May 17.Volunteers should report at 7 a.m. to the Plant Gorgas boat launch at Baker’s Creek.

Directions: From Birmingham: Travel on Corridor X (future I-22) toward Jasper and take Exit 72.Travel 5 miles south on Cordova Gorgas Road and take a right on County Road 269. Travel 0.2 miles to Gorgas Steam Plant.

Volunteer Contact: Bruce Williams, 205-668-2324.

Volunteers for Renew Our Rivers, one of the Southeast’s largest river cleanups, have collected more than 10 million pounds of trash and debris since the program’s inception in 2000. This year, 30 cleanups are planned through November on the Alabama, Black Warrior, Cahaba, Chattahoochee, Coosa, Mobile and Tallapoosa rivers and various lakes throughout the state.

Take your cellphone, and take pictures!

Take a picture of the trash on the ground, then take a similar photo after the garbage is gone. Then send those photos to pics@renewourrivers.com – and thanks!

Check out the schedule, and get in touch if you are available for one of the events.

Once you’re out there, take your phone and get some pictures. A nice “Before” shot, showing us what you found — and an “After” picture that shows the difference you made!

Send us the pictures, and we’ll send you a hat.

May 1-3—–H. Neely Henry (Coosa River)
Cleanup activities will be held at various locations during the cleanup. Contact coordinator for further details.

Contact: Lisa Dover at (256) 549-0900, Keep Etowah Beautiful

May 11——Weeks Bay
Cleanup sites include the shoreline of Weeks Bay, Magnolia River, Fish River and bridge crossings along tributaries. Registration is at the Weeks Bay Resource Center. Event runs from 8:00 am to noon and includes lunch. Volunteers should contact coordinators for details.

Contact: Michael Shelton at (251) 928-9792 or E-mail: Michael.shelton@dcnr.alabama.gov

May 17—–Mulberry fork-Gorgas steam Plant
Volunteers will meet at Plant Gorgas boat launch at Baker’s Creek (behind # 2 plant) at 7:00 am. For further details contact coordinators.

Contact: Bruce Williams at (205) 668-2324 or Justin Brown at (205) 686-2306, Gorgas Steam Plant

May 20-21—–Smith Lake (Walker County)
Volunteers should meet at Smith Dam boat launch area at 8:00 am each day. The cleanup will target large blocks of white beaded foam previously utilized as pier flotation. Volunteers should contact coordinator for further details.

Contact: John Kulbitskas at (205) 384-5415

May 24-25—–Smith Lake (Cullman County)
Sites to be determined.

Contact: Eddie Hand at (256) 287-1545, Smith Lake Environmental Preservation Committee

May 28-June 1—–Bankhead Lake (Black warrior River)
Large items will be targeted during the week by USACE and APC. The community cleanup will be held Saturday, June 1 from 8:00 am to noon at Quinn’s landing Adger, AL. A picnic lunch will follow the cleanup. Contact coordinators for further details.

Contact: Kellie Johnston at (205) 623-0458, Black Warrior Clean Water Partnership or
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Resource office at (205) 553-9373

]]> http://renewourrivers.com/2013/05/entering-the-busy-season/feed/ 0 http://renewourrivers.com/2013/04/a-cold-day-on-lake-eufaula/ http://renewourrivers.com/2013/04/a-cold-day-on-lake-eufaula/#comments Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:46:57 +0000 Ike Pigott http://renewourrivers.com/?p=1085 Click here to view the embedded video.

If you know people who were interested in coming out, please let them know.

Huge thanks to Peggy Bullard for these photos. Peggy is active in the Lake Mitchell community, and writes a monthly column for the Clanton Advertiser.

A few days ago, we teamed up with the Lake Mitchell Home Owners and Boat Owners Association and the Alabama Department of Conservation’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division to recycle more than 200 Christmas trees. The trees were carefully placed in areas of the lake where fish might be able to thrive.

Read more about the Lake Mitchell fish habitat project in the Clanton Advertiser, and enjoy Peggy’s photos below.