BIRMINGHAM - Renew Our Rivers, Alabama Power’s environmental river cleanup program, has collected nearly 8.6 million pounds of trash and debris from Alabama and Southeast rivers since its 2000 inception. This year the cleanups began on March 1 on the Tallapoosa River at Yates and Thurlow Reservoirs.  Volunteers will participate in 26 more spring, summer and fall cleanups. Nearly 5,000 volunteers rolled up their sleeves to collect 704,000 pounds of trash from along Alabama’s lakes and rivers in 2007.

“We’re proud that Renew Our Rivers began at Alabama Power,” said Alabama Power President and CEO Charles McCrary. “But its continuing success is due to the thousands of volunteers from across the Southeast who share our commitment to protect our waterways.”

"With help from our many volunteers, Renew Our Rivers keeps getting bigger and better. To say this is an excellent grassroots program is an understatement. It is our hope it continues to become a way of life," said Willard Bowers, Alabama Power’s vice president of Environmental Affairs.

The cleanup program was started in Gadsden on Lake Neely Henry by an Alabama Power employee and was originally known as Renew the Coosa. It was later expanded and renamed Renew Our Rivers. Annually, Alabama cleanups are held on the Black Warrior, Coosa, Tallapoosa, Chattahoochee, Mobile and Cahaba rivers and Village Creek.

Renew Our Rivers has become the Southeast’s largest organized river-system
cleanup, thanks to the efforts of more than 10,000 volunteers in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Florida, with support from the media and community partners around the region.     

The 2008 Renew Our Rivers schedule is listed below.

March 3-8 - Lake Eufaula (Chattahoochee River)
The cleanup will be during the week at varying locations. Volunteers for the Saturday, March 8 event will meet at the U.S. Coast Guard Station located at 160 Chewalla Drive in Eufaula at 8 a.m. The cleanup will end at 11:30 a.m., followed by a picnic lunch.
Contact: Michelle M. McAndrews at (334) 616-4452, Teel Traylor at (334) 616-4300 or Bethany Claxton at (334) 616-4232 for cleanup sites and other information.

March 10-15 - Weiss Lake (Coosa River)
The community cleanup will be Saturday, March 15 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Causeway Landing between Centre and Cedar Bluff on Highway 9.
Contact: Shad Ellis at (256) 927-7172, or David Brock at (256) 927-6257, Weiss Lake Improvement Association.

March 15 - Lake Mitchell (Coosa River)
Volunteers will meet at Higgins Ferry Park at 8 a.m. The cleanup will end at noon followed by a picnic lunch.
Contact: Larry Waldron at (205) 987-7217 or Doug Martin at (205) 755-0863, Lake Mitchell Homeowners and Boat Owners Association.

March 27-28 - Smith Lake (Black Warrior River-Cullman County)
The exact location of the cleanup site is to be determined. This cleanup will target Styrofoam.
Contact: Debbie Berry, Smith Lake Environmental Preservation Committee, at (205) 823-0015 or (205) 915-8830

March 31-April 5 - Logan Martin Reservoir (Coosa River)
The community cleanup will be Saturday, April 5 from 8 a.m. to noon at Lakeside Landing, off Highway 231 South in Pell City. Volunteers will be assigned areas. The event will be followed by a picnic lunch and bluegrass music at Lakeside Landing.
Contact: Don Greer at (205) 525-4651 or Donn Brascho at (205) 525-0051, Logan Martin Lake Protection Association.

April 12 - Cahaba River
Volunteers should report to the Piper Bridge boat ramp at 8 a.m. The cleanup will end at noon.
Contact: Paula Fancher at (205) 926-4488, or email her at grits21@netzero.com.

April 12 - Lake Jordan (Coosa River)
Volunteers should report to Bonner’s Point Landing at 8 a.m. The cleanup will end at noon, followed by a picnic lunch.
Contact: Barbara Dreyer, Lake Jordan Homeowners and Boat Owners Association, at (334) 567-7551.

*April 14-16 - Smith Lake (Black Warrior River-Walker County)
The cleanup will be at the Smith Lake Dam boat launch, targeting Styrofoam and abandoned piers.
Contact: Jim Beason at (205) 387-2654, Jim Sanders at (205) 221-7446 or Charles Boyd at (205) 221-2183, Smith Lake Civic Association.

*April 17-18 - Smith Lake (Black Warrior River-Winston County)
The cleanup will target Styrofoam and abandoned piers and will operate from Jim King’s dock building site.
Contact: Laverne Matheson at (256) 747-4422 or Mary Ann Crunk at (205) 384-5355, Smith Lake Advocacy.

*April 21-24 - Mobile River (Plant Barry)
The cleanup will target areas upstream and downstream of Plant Barry on the Mobile River.
Contact: Don Nelson, Plant Barry, at (251) 829-2732.

April 21-26 - Lay Lake (Coosa River)
The community cleanup will be Saturday, April 26 from 8 a.m. to noon at Beeswax Public Boat Launch, followed by a picnic lunch.
Contact: Judy Jones, Lay Lake Homeowners and Boat Owners, at (205) 669-4865.

April 24-26 - Lake Demopolis (Black Warrior River/Tombigbee River)
The community cleanup will be Saturday, April 26 at the city landing in Demopolis from 8 a.m. to noon.
Contact: Bob McCants at (334) 289-6160 or Aimee Reynolds at (334) 289-6121, Greene County Steam Plant.
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April 26 - Lay Lake - E.C. Gaston Steam Plant (Coosa River)
Volunteers will meet at Richey’s Resort located at the plant, at 7 a.m. The cleanup will end at noon, followed by a picnic lunch. This cleanup is in cooperation with the Lay Lake Homeowners and Boat Owners cleanup and targets the upper portion of Lay Lake in vicinity of the plant.
Contact: Byron Corina, E.C. Gaston Steam Plant, at (205) 669-8301 or bvcorina@southernco.com.

April 30-May 3 - H. Neely Henry Reservoir (Coosa River)
The community cleanup will be Saturday, May 3 from 8 a.m. to noon at River Road, behind Hampton Inn off Highway 411 (Rainbow Drive).
Contact: Lisa Dover, Keep Etowah Beautiful, at (256) 549-0900 or Gene Phifer, Gadsden Steam Plant, at (256) 543-5181.

*May 2 - Locust Fork
Volunteers will meet at the Park-n-Ride at Exit 284 (Hayden/Corner) at 8 a.m. Teams will disperse to sites along the river.
Contact: Donna Hill, Southern Company Services, at (205) 257-5234 or Susie Wilkerson, Friends of Locust Fork River, at (205) 647-1689, (205) 492-1745 cell, or Locust95@aol.com.

May 10 - Weeks Bay (Weeks Bay River Cleanup)
Sites to be determined.
Contact: Michael Shelton at (251) 928-9792.

May 24 - Farley Nuclear Plant (Chattahoochee River)
The exact location of the cleanup site is to be determined.
Contact: Melanie Rogers at (334) 814-4673 or Brad Moore at (334) 814-4512.

May 28-31 - Bankhead Reservoir (Black Warrior River)
The community cleanup will be Saturday, May 31 from 8 a.m. to noon at Buddy Vines Camp. A picnic lunch will follow the cleanup.
Contact: Mark Meador, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at (205) 553-9373, or Kellie Johnston, Black Warrior Clean Water Partnership, at (205) 264-8461.

June 7 - Lake Martin (Tallapoosa River)
The exact location of the cleanup site is to be determined. Cleanups will begin at 8 a.m. and end at noon at designated sites.
Contact: Tammy Jones at (256) 234-5271 ext.3.
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June 11-14, Smith Lake (Winston County - Black Warrior River)
The exact location of the cleanup site is to be determined. The cleanup will be at 8 a.m. to noon each day with a community cleanup on Saturday, June 14.
Contact: Tom Counts or Allison Cochran at (205) 489-5111 or Linda Atkinson at (205) 387-9999.

August 9 - Upper Tallapoosa River
Volunteers will report to Tallapoosa River Outfitters off Highway 46 near Heflin. Directions are on tallapoosariveroutfitters.com
Contact: Lex Brown at (256) 239-6399.

August 12-16 - Holt Lake (Black Warrior River)
The event will be at Rocky Branch Park in Peterson off Highway 216 from 8 a.m. to noon. A picnic lunch will follow event.
Contact: Mark Meador, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at (205) 553-9373, or Kellie Johnston, Black Warrior Clean Water Partnership, at (205) 264-8461or Gerald Capps at (205) 553-8359.

September 10-13 - Village Creek (Birmingham area)
The community cleanup will be Saturday, Sept. 13 from 8 a.m. to noon.
Contact: Dr. Mable Anderson, Village Creek Society, at (205) 798-0087.

October 1-4 - R.L. Harris Reservoir (Lake Wedowee-Tallapoosa River)
Volunteers during the week should contact organizers. The Saturday, Oct. 4 cleanup will be at Highway 48 boat ramp from 8 a.m. to noon.
Contact: Bob May, Lake Wedowee Property Owners Association, at (256) 357-2656, or Shelia Smith, Alabama Power, at (256) 396-5093.

*October 10 - Locust Fork (Plant Miller)
Miller Steam Plant will host its cleanup with assistance from community volunteers. Sites to clean will include the Birmingport boat ramp and Plant Miller holding pond.
Contact: Tracie Hill, Plant Miller, at (205) 288-1681.
October 25 - Lake Mitchell (Coosa River)
The cleanup will be at Higgins Ferry Park from 8 a.m. to noon, followed with a picnic lunch.
Contact: Larry Waldron (205) 987-7217 or Doug Martin (205) 755-0863, Lake Mitchell Homeowners and Boat Owners Association.

*weekday cleanups                                

Contact:  Carrie Kurlander, (205) 257-4155, ckurland@southernco.com