Page 24 - NovDec2021 Vol39No5

TENNESSEE RIVER By Kathleen Gibi
River Group Reaches 100,000 lbs.

Milestone of Trash Removed in 2021

Over 500 volunteers have helped Keep
the Tennessee River Beautiful (KTNRB) Pickwick Group
remove more than 100,000 pounds of
trash from the Tennessee River and
its tributaries this year in the group’s
‘125,000 Lb. Goal for 2021 River Cleanups
presented by YETI.’
“It’s been truly inspiring for us to see
the volunteers and partners step up to
accomplish so much together for our
precious river system,” said Kathleen
Gibi, KTNRB Executive Director. “We’re
especially grateful to YETI for making
such an aspirational goal possible and for
showing everyone else that our rivers are
worth the investment.”
Based off of weight totals KTNRB has
been tallying throughout the year, Gibi
estimates that throwaway drink containers
make up at least 32,000 pounds from the Cherokee Lake Users Group
2,273 bags of trash that the volunteers
collected.
The river group surpassed 100,000
pounds in 2021 at a cleanup held in
Talbott this fall. They reached the
milestone just in time for the launch of
the October month-long tour of cleanups
in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and
Kentucky in celebration of ‘Keep the
Tennessee River Watershed Beautiful
Month’ (KTNRWB Month).
Gibi said that the celebratory month
is often the ‘bread and butter’ of their
trash totals and also includes the 3rd
annual Ripple Effect Awards presented by Near Florence Bridge
Yamaha Rightwaters™ and proclamations
from governors and mayors across the
Tennessee River watershed.
River Cleanups, Partnerships &
Proclamations
KTNRB partnered once again with
Living Lands & Waters (LL&W), a
national nonprofit that cleans North
American rivers and who brings their
five 30-foot aluminum boats, adding
to KTNRB’s boat so that even more
volunteers can participate.
“Living Lands & Waters is always happy
to be a part of KTNRB cleanups, and we
feel fortunate to help them reach their
125,000-pound goal on one of the nation’s
24 TPW November/December 2021