The Satilla Riverkeeper is hosting the annual river-wide cleanup on Saturday, September 21, 2019. Beginning at 9 AM, volunteers will help pick up litter and trash at public boat landings and river access points from Coffee County to Glynn County. Volunteers are invited to join any of the eleven designated clean-up sites throughout the watershed. This is a growing river-wide effort, and the Satilla Riverkeeper invites any interested individuals, schools, church groups, businesses, or other community groups to get involved.
Dumping and littering is a problem throughout the Satilla River watershed. Whether it’s in a yard, street, or outside a dumpster, once heavy rains come, trash is carried to streams and rivers. Litter impacts recreational paddlers, boaters and fishermen, riverfront properties, wildlife, and downstream communities. “Joining in this watershed-wide community effort is a great way for people who care about the Satilla River to really make an immediate difference,” said Laura Early, Satilla Riverkeeper. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see how much you can do in just a few hours.”
In order to participate, the Satilla Riverkeeper invites all volunteers to register online (https://www.satillariverkeeper.org/cleanup.html). Online registration is open until Friday, September 20th at 5:00 PM. Volunteers may also register at participating sites starting at 8:45 AM on Saturday, September 21st. Participating sites include:
Ware County
- Jamestown Landing: Across the road from 5475 Jamestown Rd, Waycross, GA 31503
- U.S. 84 Landing: 3001 Plant Avenue Extension, Waycross, GA 31501
Pierce County
- Highway 121 Landing: 13664 GA-121, Hoboken, GA 31542
Brantley County
- U.S. 301 Landing: 14 US-301, Nahunta, GA 31553
- Ava Strickland Lightsey Landing: US 82 Bridge, Atkinson 31553
- Warners Landing: 884 Warners Landing Rd. Hortense, GA 31543
Charlton County
- Burnt Fort Landing: 12118 Burnt Fort Rd, White Oak, GA 31568
Camden County
- Woodbine Waterfront Park: 101 E. 1st St, Woodbine, GA 31569
Glynn County
- Highway 99 Landing: 580 Highway 99, Brunswick, GA 31523
- U.S. 17 at the Little Satilla River, Waverly, GA 31565 (GPS coordinates: 31.110399, -81.617148)
Coffee County
- Old Shop Pond: 1510 N Chester Ave, Douglas, GA 31533
Addresses listed are approximate, please look online for the exact landing locations. This list is subject to grow as participation increases, please check the Satilla Riverkeeper website for an interactive map showing all of the locations available for this cleanup, and to assist in finding directions to each site.
The cleanup efforts will last from 9 AM to 11 AM, and water, trash bags, and gloves will be provided. Participants are encouraged to wear clothes and sturdy footwear that they don’t mind getting dirty. Following the cleanup, all registered volunteers are invited to gather for a picnic lunch and games starting at 12 PM at Twin Oaks Park, 401 Twin Oaks Drive, Hoboken, GA 31542. Chick-fil-a of Waycross will be providing lunch, and free t-shirts and other giveaways will be provided on a first come first serve basis!
Volunteers will be asked to additionally collect particular materials to contribute to a special art piece during the picnic lunch in commemoration of this year’s clean-up.
To register your own cleanup site or find out more about how you can get involved in this event, email Riverkeeper@SatillaRiverkeeper.org or call 912-462-5094, or follow the event on the Satilla Riverkeeper Facebook page
River cleanups have been an essential part of the Satilla Riverkeeper’s mission since the early years of the organization. Starting in 2014, the Satilla Riverkeeper has hosted an annual river-wide cleanup in partnership with Rivers Alive. Rivers Alive is Georgia’s annual volunteer waterway cleanup event and is a part of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA DNR) Outreach Program. It targets all waterways in the state including streams, rivers, lakes, beaches, and wetlands while creating awareness of and involvement in the preservation of Georgia’s water resources. Through this partnership, the Satilla Riverkeeper has been able to track the success of river-wide cleanups and in four years has removed over 16,000 pounds of trash from the Satilla River.
The Satilla Riverkeeper is grateful for the collaboration of community partners, which include Friends of the Satilla River, Keep Brantly Beautiful and Litter Free, Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, American Rivers, Rivers Alive, Earth Inspired Kids, Glynn Environmental Coalition, Keep Golden Isles Beautiful, Chic-fil-a of Waycross, Local Waste Services, Republic Services, Frosty Freeze of Nahunta, and Kingfisher Paddleventures.