Tennessee River Rescue kicks off with proclamation

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The 35th Tennessee River Rescue Week kicked off on Thursday. 

Volunteers from the Tennessee Aquarium and environmental group Waterways joined Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly as he proclaimed the week in a ceremony along the Riverfront.

The week emphasizes the importance of clearing trash from the river and adjacent waterways to reduce pollution.

A group of volunteers celebrate the beginning of Tennessee River Rescue Week.

The volunteers marked the occasion by picking up by the banks of the river and encouraged more to join them this Saturday.

The executive director of Waterways, Mary Beth Sutton, said, “While we see much less of the really big stuff, you know, people throwing their household garbage in the river, stove, or refrigerator or anything, we are seeing so much plastic and Styrofoam.”

There will be 36 separate cleanup sites across Bradley, Hamilton, Marion, Catoosa, Meigs, and Rhea Counties.

To learn about the sites and sign up, visit Waterway’s website.