Annual Conasauga Watershed Clean-up a Success

Members of Girl Scout Brownie Troop 14603 volunteered at the Lakeshore Park cleanup site during the 19th Annual Conasauga Watershed Cleanup.  Pictured from left to right are Adults: Jennifer McGaughey, Michell Gray, Amber Stiles. Kids: Jayda Harrod, Alana McGaughey, Paige Stiles, Laila Perry, Abigail Rann, Chassidy Crider, Sarah Key, and Bree Worley.

(Dalton, GA, November 20, 2013) –258 volunteers from Whitfield and Murray Counties participated in the 19th Annual Conasauga River Watershed Clean-up on Saturday, October 26.  The annual event took place during the United Way’s “Make a Difference Day”.  Volunteers spent the morning removing trash, debris, and invasive plants from seven sites in the two counties.  Overall, volunteers collected and removed 8,329 pounds of trash and 37 tires. 

Event organizers want to thank everyone who participated and contributed to the success of this year’s event.  The amount of clean-up time donated by volunteers, approximately 774 hours, is valued at $16,077.  Volunteers received a t-shirt and a hat or reusable water bottle in appreciation for their participation. 

Organizers want to especially thank this year’s funding sponsors: Shaw Industries, J&J Industries, Dalton Utilities, Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, The Nature Conservancy, and the Conasauga River Alliance.  Also, they would like to recognize these additional organizations that helped coordinated the event: Carpet & Rug Institute, Dalton State College, Dalton Utilities, Keep Chatsworth-Murray Beautiful, Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful, Limestone Valley RC & D, and Murray County Extension.

The Conasauga River, one of the six most biologically diverse freshwater river systems in the United States, supports 24 endangered species and a dozen other imperiled species, including the Southern Pigtoe mussel and the Conasauga logperch, a fish found nowhere else in the world.  The Conasauga Watershed Clean-up has long been a part of Rivers Alive, a statewide campaign to clean and preserve over 70,000 miles of Georgia’s rivers and streams.

Rivers Alive continues to be the state’s and one of the South’s largest volunteer efforts to beautify water resources.  So far this year, 23,930 volunteers have participated in 260 clean-up events through out the state and have collected 477,569 pounds of garbage from Georgia waterways. For more information about efforts in other areas or the statewide campaign visit www.RiversAlive.org.