Clean water involves a lot more than putting a filter on your tap. It takes a collective effort, such as the Tennessee River Rescue happening Saturday, Oct. 5.
"We are all responsible for clean water," said event organizer and head of Tennessee Student Environmental Alliance Mary Beth Sutton. "Everyone needs to help. The more of us who help, the less trashy it looks. The less trashy it looks, the less likely people are to throw trash in the river. It inspires people to keep it clean."
Approximately 20 sites along the river and its tributaries have been designated as zones to be cleaned up during the Tennessee River Rescue event. Signal Mountain has been a River Rescue zone for three years.
Participants in the Signal Mountain zone will meet at the MACC at 9 a.m. and work until 1 p.m. picking up trash along creeks on the mountain, such as Shoal Creek and Bee Branch.
"All water goes down, so all those creeks empty into the river," said Sutton. "If we get a lot of people we'll go out all over the mountain.
She said past River Rescue events on the mountain have drawn as many as 100 volunteers, and more than 1,000 people typically volunteer each year at the related events held all over the Chattanooga area.
"We're hoping to get the kids in the elementary schools really involved this year," said Sutton, adding that the Mountain Stewards will also be participating.
Attendees should bring their own gloves, and bags will be provided by TVA. All participants receive a free T-shirt when they bring the trash they collect back to the MACC, Sutton said.
Volunteers with trucks are needed to transport trash to the Dumpster at the MACC and to the Signal Mountain Recycle Center, said Sutton.