Catawba Riverkeeper
Catawba Riverkeeper has multiple Litter Abatement programs: Riversweep, Lake or Stream Cleanups, Litter Gitters, and Tactical Cleaning.
The Catawba Riversweep is one day a year when citizens from all over the Catawba-Wateree River Basin come together to clean up on the same day. October 2, 2021 will be a day when thousands of neighbors come together at dozens of sites from Lake James to Lake Wateree and everywhere in between. In 2020, nearly 1,400 volunteers collected an estimated 61,500 pounds of trash from 40+ sites across the basin.
Catawba Riverkeeper organizes private cleanups throughout the year for groups like Scout Troops, youth groups, and corporate teams. If you’re interested in coordinating a cleanup for your group, email crf@catawbariverkeeper.org to start a conversation.
A Litter Gitter is a tactical in-stream litter collection device, made by Osprey Initiative, used to intercept floating litter from stormwater runoff. When it rains, litter and other types of pollution that harm aquatic life and degrade water quality runoff intro creeks through storm drains. Polluted stormwater runoff is the leading cause of pollution in our surface waters.
There are two Litter Gitters in the Catawba River Basin: one at Freedom Park in Charlotte and the other at Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, SC. A third location is being added on Duharts Creek in Gastonia, NC in the fall of 2021. After every rain event, the Litter Gitters are cleaned out by volunteer crews. The crew sorts the trash and collects data to track sources and solutions. The Litter Gitter crew recycles as much as possible.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer crew member fill out the volunteer interest form.
Catawba Riverkeeper can deploy teams of highly experienced paddlers and boating experts to get to some of the toughest stretches of water in the basin. These tactical clean-ups are done on an as needed and identified basis. If you are interested in being on our tactical clean up crew and have advanced paddling experience, please contact Greg Nance – greg@catawbariverkeeper.org for more information.
Support Our Foundation
The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation is working towards clean, plentiful water now and for generations to come.
Join Us Today
Explore
Contact Information
102 Main Street, Suite 100, McAdenville, NC 28101
All Rights Reserved | Catawba Riverkeeper