SAVANNAH, GA - The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers along with the Lake Hartwell Association announced the 27^th annual Hartwell Lake Cleanup Campaign will begin on August 17 and conclude on September 29, National Public Lands Day.

Your help is needed! Volunteers from scout groups, civic organizations, subdivision residents, businesses, as well as families and friends are needed to pick up litter and other non-natural debris on and around Hartwell Lake. This year the cleanup includes “Operation Iceberg”, a special emphasis to collect white bead flotation from the shoreline. Anyone interested in volunteering may obtain sign-up forms at www.sas.usace.army.mil/lakes/hartwell or can stop by or call the Hartwell Lake Office at 888-893-0678, ext. 323.

Upon registering, volunteers will receive more detailed information including safety tips and litter collection areas. Trash bags are provided. The first 100 participants to register will receive a free sports bottle, and all registered participants will be invited to the “Volunteer Appreciation” picnic on September 29 where there will be entertainment, activities, food, and door prizes.

The Cleanup Campaign is coordinated by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Hartwell Lake Office and the Hartwell Lake Association, a non-profit organization that promotes cooperation, assistance and information exchange among those concerned with Hartwell Lake.

“The annual lake cleanup provides a chance for people who care about Hartwell Lake to roll up their sleeves and give something back to the very lands and water they use and appreciate,” said Tanya Grant, Hartwell Lake Park Ranger and co-coordinator of the annual Hartwell Lake Cleanup Campaign. “Our forests, waters, and parks of Hartwell Lake are a national treasure and keeping them clean means keeping them safe and attractive for people, aquatic life, and wildlife.”

The Hartwell Lake Cleanup Campaign began 26 years ago and is now included in the nationwide program, National Public Lands Day. NPLD, coordinated by the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation (NEETF), began with the idea that millions of Americans who use public lands each year – federal, state and local – could spend a day giving back to the land and their country.   The cleanup is also part of Georgia’s statewide “Rivers Alive” program and South Carolina’s statewide “Beach Sweep River Sweep” program. For more information, contact the Hartwell Lake Office at 706-856-0300, or toll free at 888-893-0678, ext. 323.