GULFPORT, Miss. – For the sixth straight year, Mississippi Power and more than 60 corporate, community and governmental partners are teaming up for a five-day Renew Our Rivers cleanup event, which will take place between October 8 and October 15.

Cleanup efforts will begin in Pearl River County before visiting Harrison and Hancock counties and wrapping up with two days in Jackson County.

“Thanks to our partners and volunteers, the impact of Renew Our Rivers continues to grow by leaps and bounds annually,” said Jeff Shepard company spokesman. “We’re excited to be returning to several locations to continue our efforts and we’re hoping to make a strong impact on two new sites this year.”

Since 2005, Renew Our Rivers volunteers have removed more than 188 tons of debris and trash from about 20 different waterways. The 2010 effort saw 56 tons of debris hauled off.

The 2011 Renew Our Rivers fall events will focus on Boley Creek in Picayune, Biloxi’s Back Bay, Bayou Bernard in Gulfport, the Hancock County Marshlands at Ansley, the Pascagoula River and Cedar Point in Ocean Springs.

Renew Our Rivers 2011 could not be possible without these additional partners:

AA Graf-x, ABC Rentals, Alabama Power, American Association of Blacks in Energy, Arguelles Marine Contracting, Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, Bill’s Quickstop, Biloxi Lions Club, Boudin’s Environmental Services, Carriere Fire Department, City of Biloxi, City of Picayune, Clean Rite Inc., Coast Electric Power Association, Coastal Rivers, Coastal Waste, Coca-Cola, Cumbest Realty, Cupit Signs, Department of Marine Resources, DMR Coastal Preserves Program, Eco-Tours of South MS, G9 Investments, Glad Force Flex, Gulf Coast Research Lab, Hancock County Roads Department, Hard Rock Casino, Harrison County Beautification Commission, Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, Highland Community Hospital, Jackson County Solid Waste Department, Keep Mississippi Beautiful, Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain, Little River Marina, McAllister’s, McCoy’s River and Marsh Tours, Merchants & Marine Bank, Miller Enterprises, MS Department of Environmental Quality, MS Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks, Mississippi HomeCare, Mississippi Export Railroad, NWF Habitat Stewards Program, Natural Capital Development, Nicholson Fire Department, NOAA, North Gulfport Community Land Trust, Okatoma Outdoor Post, Pascagoula River Basin Alliance, Pearl River County, Picayune Fire Department, Pine Grove Fire Department, Puckett Machinery, Roberts Marina, School and Carnival Supplies Inc., Silver Slipper Casino, Singing River Federal Credit Union, Southern Surveyors Group, Stonewall’s BBQ, Super Soaker Car Wash, Turkey Creek Community Initiative, Vice Construction, Waste Management, Wolf River Canoe and Kayak, U.S. Environmental Services, U.S. Navy Seabees, U.S. Navy at Stennis and the University of Southern Mississippi.

For its 2010 Renew Our Rivers campaign, Mississippi Power was recently honored with its third Gulf Guardian Award from The Gulf of Mexico Program and has previously received three Keep America Beautiful Awards for litter prevention and education.

Editor’s Note
Mississippi Power welcomes reporters and photographers to ride along throughout the Renew Our Rivers cleanup event. Please contact Jeff Shepard at 228.865.5543 to secure a spot on any of the following day trips. All cleanups begin at 8 a.m.

October 8 - Boley Creek, Picayune
October 12 -  Back Bay/Biloxi River/Tchoutacabouffa River, Biloxi
October 13 - Bayou Bernard/Industrial Seaway, Gulfport
October 13 - Hancock County Marshlands, Ansley
October 14 - Pascagoula River, Escatawpa
October 15 - Cedar Point, Ocean Springs

2010 Renew Our Rivers Event stats
• More than 560 volunteers
• A total of 56.4 tons of debris, garbage and hand trash was collected.
• Garbage found varied from party debris (beer bottles and hand trash) to larger hurricane debris, including demolished homes, boats, household items, propane tanks.
• In the spring and summer of 2011, seven cleanups were held on Deer Island, Wolf River, Okatoma River, Chunky River, Hancock County Marshland and Boley Creek.
To date, about 17 tons of debris have been removed in 2011.

Mississippi Power, a Southern Company subsidiary, serves approximately 188,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties.