Page 24 - Jan-Feb 2021 Vol 38 No 6

TENNESSEE RIVER By Kathleen Gibi
Volunteers Remove 35,500 lbs.
of Trash at River Cleanups

October, which was declared by four governors Volunteers at a Golden Pond, KY cleanup on Oct. 25.
and four mayors to be ‘Keep the Tennessee River Volunteers at a cleanup in New Johnsonville, TN on October 24.
Watershed Beautiful Month,’ proved to be a very
busy month. Volunteers pose next to a pile of trash they
collected in one cove on Norris Lake on Nov. 6
Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful (KTNRB)
collaborated with volunteers, community Volunteers at a cleanup on Pickwick Lake on October 23.
stakeholders, businesses, and elected officials to
host river cleanups, an online pledge campaign
for those wanting to make a difference from
home during the pandemic, and to issue the
2nd annual Ripple Effect Awards presented by
Yamaha Rightwaters™.

“The achievements that our volunteers and
partners helped us reach over the last month
are a testimony to the spirit we have here in the
Tennessee River Valley,” said Kathleen Gibi,
Executive Director for KTNRB.

“We weren’t going to let the pandemic slow
down the momentum that’s been growing in
stewardship for this river, and we’re so grateful
that our volunteers and partners were willing to
follow our COVID-19 policy to keep everyone
safe while working to keep the Tennessee River
beautiful,” Gibi said.
River Cleanups

The most staggering statistic that came out of
the month was the total trash removed by 103
volunteers participating in eight river cleanups
held within four states. The cleanup series was
funded by the Tennessee Valley Authority,
Tennessee Department of Transportation, Keep
America Beautiful and Yamaha Rightwaters™.

There were 35,500 lbs. of trash removed at
these cleanups, including 903 bags of trash and
136 tires.

The crew from the national nonprofit, Living
Lands & Waters, contributed largely to the
numbers by bringing their five 30-foot work boats
to take volunteers to clean shorelines at each
cleanup.

“These last weeks have been so uplifting—
working with Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful
is something we look forward to every year,” said
Dan Breidenstein of Living Lands & Waters, who
serves as Board Vice President for KTNRB.

“It’s remarkable to see the huge impact that
can be made in such a short time span thanks
to volunteers who faced the large amounts of
shoreline trash head on,” he said.
#PLEDGE4RIVERS

During the awareness month, KTNRB also

24 TPW January/February 2021