Beach, River Sweep This Weekend

On Saturday, throngs of South Carolina residents will retrieve thousands of pounds of trash from various waterways during the 23rd annual South Carolina Beach Sweep and River Sweep.

The annual sweeps are the state’s largest one-day volunteer cleanup event of its kind, according to its organizer, S.C. Sea Grant Consortium. Volunteers across the state annually pick up trash on the third Saturday in September in a bid to keep human litter out of natural habitats.

Last year, more than 3,000 volunteers retrieved 25,000 pounds of trash from coastal creeks, streams, marshland and beaches. Across the Charleston region, there are more than 20 opportunities to help clean various waterways this weekend.

Site captains organize volunteers to clean a designated waterway, wetland or beaches. There are still volunteer opportunities available. Anyone interested should contact a site captain for more information.

Berkeley County
Various boat landings
Stacy Harris
843-572-4400
843-719-2676

Dorchester County
Jessen boat landing, Ashley River
Sawmill Creek/Greenway at Luden Road
Colonial Dorchester State Park
Carolyn Tomlinson
843-832-0070
843-297-2829 (cell)
CTomlinson@dorchestercounty.net

Isle of Palms
Stacey Johnson
843-886-0687
staceysusanne@yahoo.com

Sullivan's Island - This area is full.
Olivia Williams
843-883-3123 x50 
olivia_williams@nps.gov

Mt. Pleasant    
Shem Creek - land-based cleanup
Kelly Cousino
843-884-1229
kcousino@tompsc.com

Shem Creek -  water-based clean up
Lauren Saulino
843-884-7684
cex@coastalexpeditions.com

Pickett Recreation Area (Old Pitt St. bridge)
Kent Prause
843-884-1229
kprause@tompsc.com

Ben Sawyer causeway
Dionna Ebeling
843-375-5462
cell 843-870-4364
debeling@mpwonline.com

Charleston    

Waterfront Park
Edward Evans
843-762-0625
edwardevans@knology.net

Colonial Lake park
Michael Master
843-965-5497
michaelmaster@hotmail.com

Charleston-area Creeks, Rivers, and Marshes

Lake Francis, James Island
Frances Fuller
frances.fuller@comcast.net

Marsh area under Harborview Rd. exit, James Island
Pam Ferguson
843-437-7513
epidemiologydoc@hotmail.com

Longbranch Creek, by Hwy. 17
Doug Thomas
843-224-5314
long.branch.creek.sweep@gmail.com

Marsh areas under Cosgrove Bridge
Cleanup will start at 4:30 p.m. due to tides
Jennifer Scales
843-579-7501  
scalesj@charleston-sc.gov

Upper Wando River to Horlbeck Creek
Brad Kerr
843-991-2626
bradley@carolinaboatyard.com

Folly Island
Marty Morganello
mmorganello@bellsouth.net

Mariner's Cay Racket and Yacht Club
Sharon Geiger
843-588-1328
geigers@bellsouth.net

Kiawah Island  
Bradley Schmoll
843-819-1071
bradley_schmoll@kiawahresort.com

Edisto River

Good Hope Landing, Long Creek Landing, Sullivans Ferry Landing
Marcus Sizemore
803-367-6222
msizemore@denniscorporation.com

Edisto Island / Edisto Island State Park
Ida Tipton - FRESPACE
843-869-4422
Tiptonseachef@aol.com