Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner David Salyers and department staff from across the state joined forces with Cash Daniels, the “Conservation Kid” his younger brother and his mom, to kick off the 34th annual Tennessee River Rescue Thursday at Harrison Bay State Park.
Teams of volunteers tackled trash at two locations along the park’s approximately 40-miles of shoreline on Chickamauga Lake.
Some of the most common items found Thursday include plastic bottles, remnants of Styrofoam containers, beer bottles, tires, and cigarette butts. Park Rangers do a great job of keeping the park trails and shorelines clear, but the water washes items from boats ashore frequently.
The Tennessee River Rescue is an annual community-led cleanup of the Tennessee River and some of its tributaries. This event occurs on the first Saturday of October every year. It began more than 30 years ago with a group of Chattanooga residents who were motivated to spur a community led effort to clean up the river. The River Rescue has grown to include more than twenty sites spanning four counties with nearly 800 volunteers, on average. Representatives from 2KB Energy Services and WaterWays also joined the effort Thursday morning.
If you would like to volunteer this Saturday to help with the River Rescue 2022 effort, find a link to the sites and the point of contact here as well as a list of frequently asked questions here. Wear clothing and footwear you do not mind getting dirty. Some boating sites require you to bring your own, please contact a site leader to confirm whether boats will be provided.