CAHABA RIVER CLEANUP
A PROJECT OF THE ALABAMA CENTRAL CIVITAN DISTRICT
Sponsorship
Info
Cleanup
Project History
Additional
Links:
Civitan International
Civitan
International Research Center
Alabama
Central District
The Alabama Central District of Civitan International, a community
service organization, is once again hosting the Annual Cahaba River
Cleanup on May 7, 2011. The public is invited to come out and
help clean the river and the banks of the Cahaba River. This year’s
location will be Helena, AL at Buck's Creek and take out at Hwy 52. The initial staging and Registration
will be at Buck Park and will run from 7am to 8am. The estimated finish time is between
12noon and 1pm.
Lunch will be served upon return to Buck Park.
There will be teams of volunteers paddling the river by canoe to pick up
debris that has collected there such as tires, bottles, all types of
balls, cans and other items. Teams will also cleanup specific recreation
areas along the river where such debris may have been left under the
bridge itself.
This is a great project for individuals, Junior Civitans, Scout Troops,
University Students, High School Student’s who need to fill their
community service hours, Corporate Sponsors and their employees, or any
other community service project group. We welcome everyone who wants to
help our community keeps its river clean!
We will have canoes available for volunteers to use in the event.
Paddles and lifejackets will be provided for those canoes and it is
required that all participants wear life jackets during the event. If
you have your own canoe that you would like to bring and use, we will
have transportation available down to the water’s edge and back. Please
do not drive your own canoe down to the put-in for safety reasons.
We Civitans wish to give a BIG THANK YOU to
those who donate the use of their canoes and equipment: The Cahaba
River Society, Alabama Small Boats and University of Alabama at
Birmingham.
Why is this event needed? The Cahaba River, which is the longest
free-flowing river in Alabama, is the principal supply of drinking water
for much of the Jefferson and Shelby Counties. Careless littering can
hurt the ecology of our river and destroy the habitat of creatures that
call the river home. The removal of a several tons of debris in one day
can help to keep the river in a healthy state that we can enjoy for
recreation, observation and as a continuing source of our drinking
water.
You will get dirty and wet during this cleanup so dress appropriate.
You’ll be more comfortable in long sleeves and jeans than a T-shirt and
shorts. Appropriate footwear is mandatory, no flip flops or bare feet.
Prior cleanups have removed hundreds of tires, refrigerators, a safe
door, motorcycles, an ATM machine, stoves, dishwashers, water heaters
and other large items in addition to all the numerous bottles and cans.
Your help really makes a difference.
We look forward to seeing you again or meeting you for the first time.
If you have questions, you can email us at
info@cahabarivercleanup.org. .
Cahaba
River, Alabama
The
Cahaba is one of the state's last free-flowing rivers (others have been
dammed for hydro-electric power). It is also the most biologically rich
river of its size in the nation. Flowing from the foothills of the
Appalachians, the Cahaba flows on a southwesterly journey, encompassing
parts of St. Clair, Jefferson, Shelby, Bibb, Tuscaloosa, Chilton, Perry,
and Dallas counties. The river passes through at least three different
geological zones, finally winding its way across Alabama's Black Belt.
Bird
songs echo through the river's wooded banks, with sightings of the
Louisiana waterthrush, the yellow-throated warbler, northern parula
warbler, acadian flycatcher, great blue heron, pileated woodpecker and an
occasional wood duck
In
May, the river puts on a private show when the rare, endangered Cahaba
lily blooms among the rocks and wild water. (Photo by Hendrick Snow)
Beneath
its waters, the Cahaba is home to 131 different species of fish -- more
species per mile than any river of its size in the country. It also
provides habitat for fresh-water mussels and aquatic
insects found nowhere else in the world.
And
last, but not least, the Cahaba is home to people -- fishermen, canoeists,
campers -- as well as those who live in the Birmingham metropolitan area
and rely on the river for part of their drinking water.
Threatened
by encroaching development, the Cahaba River is truly an Alabama Natural
Wonder, but will remain that way only if concerned citizens support its
protection.
