Special to The Post-Searchlight

Volunteers and stream cleanup organizers from across the state met this week, in Atlanta, Ga., to celebrate the accomplishments of the state’s largest volunteer cleanup program, Rivers Alive. The Rivers Alive awards honor the efforts of individuals and groups who are working to improve Georgia’s waterways, one trash bag at a time. Volunteers wade into rivers, lakes and coastal waters each fall as part of the continuing statewide campaign to clean and preserve more than 70,000 miles of Georgia waterways.

The Rivers Alive awards ceremony recognized groups of volunteers, as well as individuals and businesses for leadership. The ceremony was held on Wednesday, April 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Roswell River Landing in Roswell, Ga.

The winner in the “Keep Georgia Beautiful” category was Keep Decatur County Beautiful.

During the 2011 cleanup, 29,000 volunteers cleaned more than 1,700 miles of waterways and removed more than 700,000 pounds of trash, including refrigerators, couches, sinks, bicycles, microwaves, tires and shingles. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), along with the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation, jointly host the Rivers Alive Waterway Cleanup Program.

“Rivers Alive is a perfect example of the environmental good that can come from partnerships between government, private entities and the citizens of Georgia. Together we really can make a difference protecting our waterways and watersheds,” said EPD Director Jud Turner.