What:              The 11^th annual Smith Lake Renew Our Rivers cleanup is Friday and Saturday, Sept. 21-22. The cleanup will operate out of the Waterford Condominium boat launch. Volunteers should meet at 8 a.m. each day to remove white-beaded foam and discarded items from the lake. The cleanup is being coordinated by the Smith Lake Environmental Preservation Committee. In 2011, volunteers removed 11 tons of debris and a total of 3,070 tons have been removed since 2000.

No large structures will be accepted and only white-beaded foam will be collected from Smith Lake.

Overview:      Volunteers for Renew Our Rivers, one of the Southeast’s largest

river cleanups, have collected more than 12 million pounds of trash and debris since the program’s inception in 2000. This year, 29 cleanups are planned through October on the Alabama, Black Warrior, Cahaba, Chattahoochee, Coosa, Mobile and Tallapoosa rivers.

Directions:     Here are the directions to the cleanup site. From I-65 and Exit 299/Dodge City, traveling west on Highway 69 South, go approximately 8 miles to County Road 222. Traveling north on County Road 222, go approximately 6 miles to County Road 96 next to Big Bridge and take a left onto County Road 96. Traveling south on County Road 96, look for the boat launch on the right.

Contact:         Volunteers should contact Eddie Hand with the Smith Lake Environmental Preservation Committee at 256-287-1545 or go to www.slepc.org for more information.