Trash seems to find its way into the waterways no matter where it is located. Whether someone throws their empty drinking bottle over the side of their boat or leaves their picnic scraps by the water’s edge, there is always some form of trash being left behind.

When trash is left behind, there are many places it can go and many things that can take it to its destination.

Anything from wind to rain can carry trash as small as a piece of paper to as large as a car. During storms, people have been known to loose boat parts and even large pieces of their docks.

All of this debris can end up in the waterways, causing pollution to the water that we are using every day. Too much trash can also cause shallow spots that in turn can lead to boat wrecks.

Tomorrow is the 11th annual Renew Our Rivers Lake Mitchell Cleanup. The cleanup takes place at Higgins Ferry Park at 8 a.m.

The cleanup was coordinated by the Lake Mitchell Homeowners and Boatowners Association. Every year, this cleanup helps to get tons of trash out of one of our most beautiful lakes. It is important that we keep our lakes clean to make where we live a safer place. By picking up the trash in and around the water, we are creating cleaner waterways, cleaner air and a safer place to travel by boat.

Jan Ellis, an Alabama Power Spokesperson said that every year they work towards getting the rivers of Alabama clean. She added that they have collected 9 million pounds of trash and debris from the Cahaba, Coosa, Tallaoosa, Black Warrior and Mobile rivers in Alabama.

Everyone who volunteers to help out deserves a thank you from everyone in the county for helping to make where we live a better place.