River Rescue 2013 cleans trash from 50 public locations

AmeriCorps member Victoria Deren models this year's River Rescue t-shirt complete with
optional accessories, two bags of trash.
(Please note that the bags are half as big as she is!)

The clouds parted, the rain stopped, unveiling a perfect Saturday for the 24th Annual River Rescue organized by Ijams Nature Center. The yearly shoreline clean-up focuses on public lands: boat ramps, parks and greeways from Island Home Airport downstream to Ft. Loudon Dam, plus sites along Melton Hill and Watts Bar Lakes.  

According to coordinator Peg Beute, this year saw just under 800 volunteers at 50 sites along the Tennessee and Clinch Rivers. The end result of the clean-up was nine tons of bagged debris, three tons of scrap metal, 102 tires and, perhaps a sign of our times, one loaded 9 mm pistol.

- Text and photos by Stephen Lyn Bales