Environmental groups, schools, civic associations and homeowner and boat-owner organizations are among those partnering with Alabama Power employees during this spring's Renew the Coosa cleanup campaign. In all, thousands of volunteers are expected to participate over several weekends in the annual effort to remove trash and debris from the banks and shorelines of the Coosa River system.

"Renew the Coosa has grown tremendously. It has truly become a movement," said Lisa Dover with the Gadsden-based group Keep Etowah Beautiful. The Coosa River runs through Gadsden.

This year, spring cleanups will be conducted at six Coosa River lakes and at Smith Lake on the Black Warrior River. Cleanups will be scheduled later this year at Lake Martin and Harris Lake on the Tallapoosa River.

In addition to its volunteer force, Alabama Power is assisting the campaign by providing garbage bags, plastic gloves and other materials and equipment.

"The public has really gotten on board with the cleanup," said Gene Phifer, a team leader at Alabama Power's Gadsden Steam Plant who helped launch the first event at Lake Neely Henry. Since its inception in 2000, the campaign has spread to include groups along the Coosa, Black Warrior and Tallapoosa rivers.

Last year's cleanup netted more than 128 tons of trash, including 650 tires, boats, televisions, refrigerators -- even a bathtub. Even more trash could be removed this year.

Dumpsters will be positioned at locations around each lake where volunteers can place the trash they collect. Volunteers should bring rakes, and can bring boats to help with the cleanup. At many of the lakes, the final cleanup day will culminate with a picnic.

  Here's a list of this year's spring lake cleanup dates and sites:

  March 11-16 -- Logan Martin Lake.  The March 16 cleanup begins at 9 a.m.
  and ends at noon.  A picnic follows at 12:30 p.m. at Lakeside Landing.
  Dumpsters will be available at Riverside Marina, Lakeside Landing, Clear
  Creek Harbor and Poor House Creek Marina.
  For more information, contact Don Greer with the Logan Martin Lake
  Protection Association at (205) 525-4651.

  April 8-13 -- Lay Lake.  The April 13 cleanup begins at 8 a.m. and ends at
  noon. The cleanup will be coordinated from Beeswax Park.  Dumpsters will
  be located at Beeswax Public Boat Launch, Smith Camp in Wilsonville, Lay
  Lake Estates Boat Launch, Paradise Point Marina, Cedar Creek Marina, Okomo
  Marina, Bozos Marina, Peckerwood Creek, Lay Point Marina at Waxahatchee
  Creek, Sehoya Golf Club at Paint Creek and at the Chilton County Public
  Boat Launch near Pineview Camp.  The picnic will take place after cleanup
  at Beeswax Park.
  For more information, contact Judy Jones with the Lay Lake Homeowners and
  Boat Owners Association at (205) 669-4865.

  April 20 -- Lake Jordan.  Cleanup begins at 8 a.m. and ends at noon. The
  cleanup will coordinated from Bonner's Point.  Dumpsters will be located
  at Bonner's Point and at Lake Jordan Marina.  The picnic will take place
  at Bonner's Point following the cleanup.
  For more information, contact Barbara Dreyer of the Lake Jordan Homeowners
  and Boat Owners Association at (334) 567-7551.

  April 27 -- Lake Mitchell.  Cleanup begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at noon.
  Trash should be brought to Higgins Ferry boat ramp for collection.  A
  picnic at Higgins Ferry will follow the cleanup.
  For more information, contact Sam Piccolo with the Lake Mitchell
  Homeowners and Boat Owners Association at (256) 377-4801.

  April 29-May 4 -- Neely Henry Lake.  The May 4 cleanup begins at 8 a.m.
  and ends at noon.  A picnic at Moragne Park follows the day's cleanup.
  Dumpsters will be located at City of Gadsden Boat Dock, Southside City
  Hall, Glencoe City Hall, Willow Point Boat Dock, and Rainbow Landing.
  Trash collected will be on display May 4 at the Gadsden Amphitheater, off
  Highway 411, between noon and 1 p.m.
  For more information, contact Lisa Dover of Keep Etowah Beautiful at (256)
  549-0900 or at keb@gadsdenchamber.com. Volunteers also can sign up at
  www.kebinc.com .

  May 13-18 -- Smith Lake.  Cleanup will begin May 13 and conclude on May 17
  on the Sipsey or western side of the lake.  Dumpsters will be located
  through May 17 at the boat launch just above Lewis Smith Dam. No picnic is
  planned.  On the Cullman County side of the lake, cleanup will begin May
  16 and conclude on May 18.  Trash receptacles will be located at Castle
  Rock Marina from May 16 through May 18.
  For more information, contact Jim Beason with the Smith Lake Civic
  Association at (205) 387-2654 or Debbie Berry with the Smith Lake
  Environmental Preservation Committee at (205) 823-0015.

  June 10-15 -- Weiss Lake. The June 15 cleanup will take place from 8 a.m.
  until noon.  Dumpsters will be located at the public pier on Highway 9
  between Cedar Bluff and Centre.  The picnic will take place at the pier
  following the cleanup.
  For more information, contact David Moore with the Weiss Lake Improvement
  Association at (256) 927-5125.

Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company , owns and operates 14 hydroelectric 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.

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SOURCE: Alabama Power