As Renew Our Rivers celebrates its 20th year, longtime
volunteers are remembering the early days of the
campaign and how it has changed Alabama's waterways
for the better.
Many of the earliest Renew Our Rivers volunteers got
plugged into the program through local civic groups and
home owner and boat owner associations (HOBOs). e
organizations provide a solid base of volunteers who care
about Alabama lakes and want to keep them beautiful.
Barbara Dreyer has lived on Lake Jordan since 1973 and
has been active in her local HOBO for decades.
Judy Jones began working with Renew Our Rivers on
Lay Lake even before she moved to the lake full time.
In the program's first year, she helped organize a picnic
to celebrate the end of a cleanup. e picnic was such
a success it has become an annual tradition to thank
volunteers for their hard work.
When John Kulbitskas moved to Smith Lake in 2005,
he joined the Smith Lake Civic Association (SLCA), which
has partnered with Renew Our Rivers since the program's
inception.
ey say each lake has its own unique needs and goals
that Renew Our Rivers helps accomplish.
For the Kulbitskas on Smith Lake, a significant amount of
time focuses on picking up pieces of Styrofoam that break
off from boat docks. e team uses pontoon boats with
special wenches to pick up heavy, waterlogged pieces.
In the early years of Renew Our Rivers, pieces of white
Styrofoam were commonly found across the lake; now
Styrofoam is mostly encased in coverings. e covered
style also prevents smaller pieces from breaking off and
becoming a danger to fish and other wildlife.
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