The Macon Water Authority (MWA), its non-profit Macon Water Alliance, and several partners, sponsors and participating organization held the 16th annual Ocmulgee Alive! river cleanup on two Saturdays – Oct. 22nd and Oct. 29th – when volunteers gathered to remove approximately 130 bags of trash and debris – equaling about a ton – from several sites across the community.
Ocmulgee Alive! was one of approximately 40 cleanups around the state this fall that were affiliated with the Georgia Rivers Alive Campaign. Rivers Alive is a Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) Outreach Program, with a mission to create awareness of and involvement in the preservation of the state’s water resources. Ocmulgee Alive! also raises awareness of the importance of water quality to the economic development and quality of life in Macon-Bibb County and Middle Georgia.
The MWA partnered with Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful and the Macon-Bibb Parks & Recreation Department to host this year’s cleanup. Participating organizations included Mount de Sales Academy, Stratford Academy, Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, The Royal Science Club, and Riverside Cemetery & Conservancy, while corporate sponsors YKK, Graphic Packaging International, and Kumho Tire provided additional volunteers and support.
“Overall, I’m happy we’re all out together (participating in Ocmulgee Alive!), but it’s sad that this type of event is needed, because some don’t value the community when they litter or dump trash,” says Asha Ellen, Executive Director of Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful.
As a result of the need to Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful, approximately 275 volunteers came together for this common goal during the 2022 Ocmulgee Alive!
“This is an excellent event, and what better way to serve our community,” says Judy Gordon, Neighborhood Watch Coordinator with the Macon-Bibb Sheriff’s Office who serves on the Keep-Macon Bibb Beautiful Board. “We’re committed to making Macon-Bibb County a great place to live, play, and love.”
Macon-Bibb County District 2 Commissioner Paul Bronson echoed those sentiments, noting that a clean community reflects a sense of pride among its residents.
“This is a phenomenal opportunity for citizens to get out and assist in keeping these areas of our community clean,” he notes.
This year’s cleanup sites at Ocmulgee Alive! on Oct. 29, included Amerson River Park, Vineville Branch in the Riverside Cemetery, Mead Road, Walnut Creek in the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park, Rocky Creek Road near Rocky Creek, and the Spring Street Boat Ramp. Employees from YKK, who conducted their cleanup in conjunction with their annual corporate outing on Saturday Oct. 22, focused on sites at Chestney Road, Riggins Mill Road, and Joe Tamplin Industrial Boulevard.
“It was incredible to see all our volunteers come together to clean up around a place we all call home,” says Natalie McEver, MWA Wastewater Laboratory Analyst, who organized the event on behalf of the Authority. “Jump starting Ocmulgee Alive! after a three-year hiatus, everyone was excited to get back at it, and we were able to pull a ton of trash out of our waterways and off our streets.”
“We all need clean water, and we need to protect it for generations to come,” says Peg Jones, a 32-year veteran of Save Our Rivers.
In addition to being a popular site for outdoor recreation, the Ocmulgee River is one of the MWA’s primary sources of raw water for producing America’s Best Tasting Drinking Water at the utility’s Frank C. Amerson, Jr. Water Treatment Plant.
A photo gallery from this year’s Ocmulgee Alive! is available via the “Learn More” link below.
Media Contact:
Chris Wood, Ph.D.
P: 770-757-1681
E: chris@jwapr.com or john.wood@gcsu.edu