State agencies, volunteers pitch in for ‘stream cleanup’ in Jackson

JACKSON, Tenn. — One group started their spring cleaning Monday in south Jackson.

“Today we’re having what we call a ‘stream cleanup,'” Rudy Collins with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation said.

Several agencies came together Monday to pick up litter around the South Forked Deer River. This is their fourth year for the stream cleanup day.

“We decided to do the south fork because we drive over it every day because it’s one of the main thoroughfares through Jackson, and it’s just been nasty since the flooding that happened in early February,” said April Caudill, also with TDEC.

Children and adults came to help pick up the litter. They passed out their garbage bags and then started finding trash.

Volunteers picked up everything from straws and plastic bags to pieces of tires. They say throwing out just one piece of paper from your car could make a big difference.

“That one piece of paper you throw out adds up,” Collins said. “If everyone threw out just one piece of paper, it adds up.”

In just an hour, they had filled several trash bags with debris from the river area. Both Caudill and Collins say people need to take responsibility for their actions.

“People don’t understand if you throw it on the roadway, it rains, the rain goes into the storm drains and then it all automatically comes down to the rivers and creeks that are around here,” Caudill said.

They hope that Monday’s cleanup brings awareness to the community and makes them think twice about throwing things onto the roads.