Citizens of Georgia Power Volunteers Clean Up South River

On Saturday, June 26th, volunteers from Citizens of Georgia Power’s Metro East Chapter, a company volunteer and community engagement group, joined the South River Watershed Alliance and the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance for a river cleanup starting at Panola Shoals Trailhead in Stonecrest. Volunteers packed out trash throughout the morning, leaving the river along the trailhead cleaner than when they found it. The June 26th cleanup was originally planned for Earth Day, when inclement weather made the event impossible. Volunteers removed over 240lbs of trash on Saturday, a large portion of which was Styrofoam.

“At Georgia Power, we live by the mantra of being ‘a citizen wherever we serve,’ and believe it is our duty to serve our communities and leave them better than we found them,” said ChiQuita George, environmental specialist and first vice president with the Citizens of Georgia Power Metro East chapter. “We also put a special focus on keeping our state’s rivers, lakes and streams clean for families to enjoy and for Georgia’s wildlife to thrive. Georgia is our home too and we look forward to serving our customers and neighbors for years to come.”

“The South River is finally on the map,” said Jackie Echols, Board President of the South River Watershed Alliance, describing the upsurge in community interest in the river. “It has been great to watch the phenomenal growth in support over the past 10 years.”

The South River was recently placed on American Rivers’ Most Endangered Rivers list due to chronic problems with pollution. Events like the Citizens of Georgia Power river cleanup make progress towards a cleaner river. Learn more and look out for future volunteer opportunities at southriverga.org.

Photos: Skye Jalal