Partners and Community Come Together for Yellow River Trash Bash

From Gwinnett County:

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — On September 17, 82 volunteers gathered at Yellow River Park to participate in the first annual Yellow River Trash Bash!

The river cleanup was planned and implemented by a cooperative partnership of the Yellow River Water Trail, Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources, Gwinnet County Parks and Recreation, Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful and DeKalb Watershed Management.

“It was a great day,” said John Butler, Public Education and Outreach Specialist with the Department of Water Resources. “Some extremely dedicated volunteers showed up to work hard.” A dozen kayakers and canoers canvassed the riverbed and banks within the Yellow River Park. Volunteers on foot spread across the watershed, covering tributaries, bridge crossings, Yellow River Park and adjoining roadways. Participating groups included Boy Scout Troop 553, Couch Middle School Beta Club and Discovery High School Environmental Club.

In only three hours, the volunteers removed over 3,400 pounds of trash, including 20 tires, from the river and adjacent areas. Marianne Velker with the Yellow River Water Trail said, “The Yellow River Park area is beautiful, but there is trash if you look for it. We found some very unusual items, including a full set of chest x-rays discovered in the woods, as well as a dirt bike and sofa in the river.”

The Yellow River Water Trail would like to make this year’s Trash Bash the first of many. Marcie Moore, Greenspace Planner with Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation, said what everyone was thinking, “This was such a fantastic event. Everyone put in so much effort and the piles of trash proved it. The annual Yellow River Trash Bash is off to a great start!”

The Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources is a publicly-owned utility committed to providing excellent water, wastewater, and stormwater services at the best possible value to residents and businesses. DWR is widely recognized for innovation and service excellence as well as stewardship of the environmental resources in Gwinnett County. For more information, visit www.gwinnettH2O.com.

Images via Gwinnett County.