Editorial: Saturday’s Conasauga River Watershed Clean-Up helps rid our waterways of harmful garbage

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Fresh, clean water is almost always available for most of us.

We need it to quench our thirst after a jog; boil pasta as we prepare a spaghetti dinner; use it to clean our clothes in the washing machine; take a cool dip in it in a swimming pool; and for seemingly countless other uses.

Fresh, clean water available at the turn of a handle is a luxury that some take for granted.

What would you we do if that water wasn’t so fresh and so clean? How would we deal with an overly polluted water source?

Unfortunately, many people don’t seem to care about polluting our waterways. However, there are plenty of people who want clean up our water sources.

On Saturday, the Conasauga River Watershed Clean-Up marks its 28th year, as several hundred people are expected pick up litter and remove debris from 10 places along the river, the main water supply for Whitfield and Murray counties. This year’s event is from 9 a.m. to noon. The sites include tributaries that may be close to your home, such as at Prater’s Mill near Varnell or Lakeshore Park in Dalton.

Last year 258 volunteers picked up and removed more than 8,164 pounds of garbage from 12 locations.

If you’re interested in improving our water system, it’s not too late to volunteer. Pre-registration is not required, as volunteers can register at their chosen site on Saturday.

Participants are encouraged to arrive early for on-site registration. Volunteers can expect to spend a couple of hours in the morning cleaning up litter. Volunteers should wear sturdy shoes or boots, long pants and long-sleeve shirts. Gloves and trash bags will be provided at each site. T-shirts with this year’s river cleanup logo will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

To learn more about the river cleanup, call Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful at (706) 278-5001 or visit www.KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.org to download the event flier with directions to each site. Join and share the event on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.

We thank every volunteer who has picked up trash and cleaned our waterways of everything from Styrofoam cups to a trampoline. Those who will show up on a Saturday morning, remember your work really does make an immediate difference that benefits the environment for years to come. We are fortunate there are those among us who are willing to get out there and keep our waterways clean.