Join the effort to trash the trash! story by Dari Mullins
Trash ... It isn’t sexy and it isn’t fun, but if everyone grabs just one bag from the Trash Barge and fills it before leaving the lake ... we will no longer have a trash problem!
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— Shane Mullin, administrator of Keowee Lake Life Facebook page
ith the boating dinate regional volunteers, especially industry expethe northernmost region. If interested, riencing record contact Calderwood at scottc1951@ high sales, trafgmail.com. fic on our area As the popularity of Lake Keowee lakes has grown exponentially. More increased FOLKS realized that two boats, however, means more people sweeps would not be enough to keep and more people means more trash. the litter problem at bay throughThat trash has become a growing out the year. In December 2009, focus of individuals, groups and orgathe Adopt-an-Island program was nizations, some that have organized launched, expanding coverage to 70 efforts to manage the mess for years. numbered islands. These “island keepOn Lake Keowee, Friends of Lake ers” clean island shorelines and inteKeowee Society remains one of the rior areas while monitoring for other most actively involved volunteer damage or misuse. The group of over groups with ongoing events devoted 50 Island Keepers includes individuto keeping the lake clean. In 1993, als, couples, boating groups, commuFOLKS began implementing “lake nity associations and business ownsweeps” twice a year. These sweeps ers. These volunteers visit their islands break 377 miles of shoreline into geoat least four times during the boating graphical areas, and teams of volunseason, collecting trash and reportteers meet at a designated captain’s ing any large items needing removal. dock where they receive trash bags, This program is coordinated by Paul gloves, rakes, water and snacks. Often Gibbons. over 200 volunteers, using 80 vessels, “There is only one unadopted isembark on their journey to collect land — Island 16A — that is locateverything from soda cans to water ed roughly 1.25 miles north of the heaters. Oversized items are reported Duke Energy site,” Gibbons said, notGregg Bajdas and John Rysinski display the haul they collected from their to Duke Energy Lake Services, and ing that participation is validated and adopted island this past spring. Photo by Sue Rysinski a contractor is dispatched to retrieve monitored as people retire out of the Calderwood, lake sweep coordinator. them. Participants who donate their program. If interested in being added The spring 2022 sweep is planned for Sattime and efforts during the sweep receive Tto the island list of volunteers, Gibbons encoururday, April 30, through Sunday, May 8, and shirts and are celebrated with a cookout. ages people to email FOLKS at keoweefolks@ volunteers are needed. Volunteers with ponThe fall 2021 sweep logged 67.2 hours and charter.net. toon boats are especially helpful as those vescollected over 60 bags of trash. The newest FOLKS program combating the sels can easily approach and access shorelines. “These sweeps have made a difference, and litter issue is the Adopt-a-Ramp program. CoAlso needed are “area commanders” to coorthe lake has gotten a lot cleaner,” said Scott ordinated by Dale Wilde, president of FOLKS, 64 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING
