KTNRB supported the Cherokee Lake Users Association’s river cleanup with volunteers of Carson Newman University on the day of hitting 100,000 lbs. of trash removed from our waterways in 2021.
Over 500 volunteers have helped Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful (KTNRB) 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 2,273 bags of trash that the volunteers have collected so far this year.
The river group surpassed 100,000 pounds in 2021 at a cleanup held in Talbott, Tenn. on Tuesday, Sept. 29. They reached the milestone just in time for the launch of the month-long tour of cleanups in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky in celebration of October being declared ‘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 that the group is staged to easily reach their 125,000-pound goal for the year with the upcoming cleanups.
The month will also include the 3rd annual Ripple Effect Awards presented by Yamaha Rightwaters™ and proclamations from governors and mayors across the Tennessee River watershed.
Volunteers pose with their collected trash at a 2020 KTNRWB Month cleanup on Pickwick Lake partnered with Living Lands & Waters.
RIVER CLEANUPS
KTNRB is partnering 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 most amazing rivers!” said Chad Pregracke, Founder of LL&W and 2013 CNN Hero of the Year.
The cleanups during Keep the Tennessee River Watershed Beautiful Month are scheduled as follows:
Friday, Oct. 1 Scottsboro, AL | Guntersville Lake
Saturday, Oct. 2 Ten Mile, TN | Watts Bar Lake
Friday, Oct. 15 Iuka, MS/Hardin, TN | Pickwick Lake
Saturday, Oct. 16 Hardin, KY | Kentucky Lake
KTNRB will hold more cleanups with its individual boat throughout October. Volunteers may register for any cleanup atwww.KeepTNRiverBeautiful.org/upcomingcleanups.
PARTNERSHIPS & PROCLAMATIONS
TDOT’s Mike McClanahan reads Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s proclamation at a ceremony held before a 2019 KTNRWB Month river cleanup.
Gibi said that it was the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), that originally challenged KTNRB to celebrate an awareness month for the Tennessee River. The awareness month was launched in the state of Tennessee in 2018 and has now expanded into a seven-state awareness campaign in 2021.
Proclamations from governors and mayors within all seven states (TN, AL, MS, KY, GA, VA, NC) of the Tennessee River watershed are pursued during the month. Last year, four governors and four mayors issued proclamations for Keep the Tennessee River Watershed Beautiful Month.
TVA and Keep Tennessee Beautiful (funded by the Tennessee Department of Transportation) were the founding partners who initiated the formation of KTNRB as a nonprofit that would champion support and protection for the 652-mile Tennessee River. Since forming, KTNRB has rallied more than 2,200 volunteers to remove over 275,000 pounds of trash from the Tennessee River and its tributaries.
As KTNRWB Month is celebrated in different states, Keep Tennessee Beautiful, Keep Alabama Beautiful, Keep Mississippi Beautiful, and the Land Between the Lakes have served as acting co-organizers. Local nonprofits such as other Keep America Beautiful affiliates and the Friends of Land Between the Lakes are also supporting partners.
The KTNRWB Month cleanups held in Tennessee are largely funded through Tennessee Department of Transportation and Keep Tennessee Beautiful. Additionally, TVA has funded KTNRB’s efforts since its inception and serves as a major supporter of KTNRWB Month.
RIPPLE EFFECT AWARDS
Coupled with the river cleanups during ‘Keep the Tennessee River Watershed Beautiful Month’ will be the 3rd annual Ripple Effect Awards presented by Yamaha Rightwaters™. Judges from national-level organizations and companies have been enlisted to select from nominated outstanding champions for the Tennessee River to be recognized and awarded glass-blown trophies.
Nominations for the awards have been extended to Friday, October 15, and may be submitted at www.KeepTNRiverBeautiful.org/awards.
For full information and links on Keep the Tennessee River Watershed Beautiful Month, visit www.KeepTNRiverBeautiful.org/ktnrwb-month.