During the Rivers Alive event, an estimated 25,000 volunteers

statewide will stage dozens of cleanups in Georgia's streams,

rivers, lakes and wetlands from the Coosa River in North Georgia

to the Okefenokee Swamp in the South.�During the 2003 River Cleanup,

more than 24,000 volunteers cleaned over 1,400 miles of waterways

and removed over 380,000 pounds of trash and garbage including

tires, children bikes, a safe and a telephone booth from the

state's waterways, according to Kimberly Morris-Zarneke,

Coordinator of Georgia Adopt-A-Stream. Morris-Zarneke expects

this year's River Cleanup to involve hundreds more volunteers

and to continue to be the state's largest volunteer effort

to beautify Georgia's water resources.

Sponsors of the event include: Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, Georgia

Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division,

Keep Georgia Beautiful and Affiliates, Georgia Department of

Community Affairs, Clean Coast, Inc., Clean Water Campaign, The

Coca-Cola Company, Columbus Waterworks, Georgia Land Trust, Georgia

Project WET/River of Words, Georgia Power, Georgia River Network,

International Paper, Lake Lanier Association, Meadwestvaco, National

Park Service � Chattahoochee Recreational Area, Oxbow Meadows

Environmental Learning Center, Peavine Watershed Alliance, and

Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper.�Dozens of other local organizations

will be sponsoring individual cleanups around the State.

To volunteer/participate in a local cleanup effort or to obtain

more information about the statewide campaign, call 404-675-1636

or go to www.riversalive.org.

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