Renew Our Rivers, the award- winning river cleanup campaign spearheaded by Alabama Power, is now under way, with volunteer cleanups scheduled for almost every weekend through May.

"Renew Our Rivers brings together the private sector with homeowners and boat owners, civic organizations, lake associations and students to make a real difference in protecting Alabama's natural beauty," said Charles McCrary, president and CEO of Alabama Power.

Formerly known under the name Renew the Coosa, Renew Our Rivers features 11 volunteer cleanups on lakes along the Coosa, Tallapoosa and Black Warrior rivers in Alabama and on the upper Coosa River in Georgia. Since its inception in 2000, more than 2,200 volunteers have removed 242 tons of trash and debris from the rivers.

Last year, Alabama Power and its volunteer partners were presented with a national award from Keep America Beautiful for the Renew Our Rivers campaign. As part of this year's campaign, the Alabama Power Foundation is distributing $10,000 in environmental education grants to Alabama schools in the vicinity of Alabama Power lakes. Lake organizations are assisting the Foundation in determining grant winners.

"Renew Our Rivers is a national model for communities interested in improving their quality of life," said Sue Smith, director of education and training at Keep America Beautiful. "We applaud Alabama Power and the more than 75 volunteer groups who make this partnership such an extraordinary success."

This year's first cleanup took place March 15 at Logan Martin Lake. About 200 volunteers removed seven tons of trash from the reservoir. The next cleanup is set for April 5 at Lake Mitchell. Here is the schedule for upcoming cleanups in Alabama:

April 5, Lake Mitchell

Cleanup begins at 8 a.m. at Higgins Ferry Park and ends around noon. A picnic will be held at the park following the cleanup. For more information, please call George Jackins of the Lake Mitchell Homeowners and Boat Owners Association at (205) 978-8338.

April 12, Lake Jordan

Cleanup begins at 8 a.m. and ends at noon. The cleanup will be coordinated from Bonner's Point. A cookout celebration will be held at the site after the cleanup. For more information, please call Barbara Dreyer of the Lake Jordan Homeowners and Boat Owners Association at (334) 567-7551.

April 7-12, Lay Lake

The April 12 cleanup begins at 8 a.m. Volunteers should gather at the picnic area at Beeswax Creek Park. A picnic will be held at the picnic area from noon until 3 p.m. For information about the other cleanup days, please call Judy Jones with the Lay Lake Homeowners and Boat Owners Association at (205) 669-4865.

April 14-19, Weiss Lake

Volunteers will clean the shorelines of Spring Creek April 14 through 16, beginning at 8 a.m. On April 17, the cleanup will begin at 1 p.m. at Hawg's Den Marina in Cedar Bluff. On April 18 and 19, volunteers should gather at 8 a.m. on the causeway between Cedar Bluff and Centre. For more information, please contact Shad Ellis with the Weiss Lake Improvement Association at (256) 927-5125 or (256) 927-7172.

April 28-May 3, Lake Neely Henry The May 3 volunteer cleanup begins at 8 a.m. and ends at noon. The cleanup will be coordinated from the City of Gadsden boat dock, but trash receptacles will be located at multiple sites. A cookout at Moragne Park will follow the cleanup. For more information or details about the other cleanup days, please contact Lisa Dover of Keep Etowah Beautiful at (256) 549-0900 or Gene Phifer of Alabama Power at (256) 543-5181.

May 12-17, Smith Lake (Walker County) The cleanups begin at 8 a.m. each morning at the Smith Dam boat launch. For more information, please contact Jim Beason with the Smith Lake Civic Association at (205) 387-2654.

May 29-31, Smith Lake (Cullman County)

The cleanups begin at 8:45 a.m. each day at Castle Rock Marina. For more information, please contact Debbie Berry with the Smith Lake Environmental Preservation Committee (205) 823-0015.

For more information about Renew Our Rivers and details about Alabama Power's other environmental initiatives, please visit www.alabamapower.com.

Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company , owns and operates 14 hydroelectric generating plants in Alabama, providing clean, low-cost electricity. The facilities also provide more than 157,000 acres of water and more than 4,000 miles of shoreline for the public's use and enjoyment.

SOURCE: Alabama Power Company