Volunteers Helped Clean Up Big Creek on Kayaks on August 24

Volunteers from the Georgia Canoeing Association worked to clean up a portion of Big Creek, also known as Vickery Creek, on Sunday, August 24. Their volunteer efforts this past weekend are a precursor to Roswell’s annual Rivers Alive event, which will be held on September 27 from 8:30 – 11:00 a.m.

Upstream of the historic mill dam, a fallen tree was catching silt, debris, and trash, creating an unsightly “island” in the water. From shore, the dead snag seemed simple to remove, but upon closer inspection it proved to be a tough job. The volunteers worked on kayaks and on foot to collect the trash and break up the island. They managed to remove some of the limbs in the water using hand saws and dug out the accumulated silt with nothing but gloved hands. The collected trash included bottles, Styrofoam and recreational equipment.

Volunteers from the association will continue cleanup efforts during the Rivers Alive event by collecting trash as they paddle from Garrard Landing on Holcomb Bridge Road to Island Ford Park in Sandy Springs. During the event, volunteers from around the community will join together to clean up trash from trails and roads, as well as work to remove privet, an invasive shrub, from Riverside Park and the Chattahoochee Nature Center.

Brought to you by Keep Roswell Beautiful (KRB), the City of Roswell, the Chattahoochee Nature Center and the National Park Service, Rivers Alive brings together individuals, neighborhoods, scout troops, schools, churches, clubs and service organizations each year to make a difference for the Chattahoochee River and its tributaries.

Volunteers of all ages are still needed for Rivers Alive. For more information or to register, visit www.roswellgov.com/riversalive.