4th Annual SWEEP the HOOCH Volunteer Project: Paddlers and Hikers needed!

IMPORTANT!  AOC members who wish to participate in this worthy cause must go ASAP to the www.SweepTheHooch.org website and formally register to volunteer for the river-cleanup section of your choice.  (Please sign up also below for our informal AOC "subgroup roster.") Although the few remaining "Paddler" spaces in the Powers Island to Paces Mill section will likely soon become filled, our AOC "subgroup" will focus on paddling that section (between I-285 to GA-41 in NW Atlanta - see more below). If you have a boat, please register as a "Paddler" on SweepTheHooch.org for that Powers I section while space remains.  Volunteers are also needed (for walkers and paddlers) on other sections of the river between Lake Lanier and SW Atlanta, so don't hesitate to register for one of those sections (or for a post-event "Cleanup Crew" in the afternoon) and participate (independently of our AOC Powers Island "paddling subgroup").  The Sope Creek and Paces Mill sections are near Powers Island and as of today Mar 13th still need a few "Walkers."

IN A NUTSHELL:  Our friends from the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area headquarters and its sister Chattahoochee Riverkeeper organization have invited the AOC to "give back to the river" by participating in their 4th annual "Sweep the Hooch" volunteer project on Saturday April 12th.  They are recruiting volunteers to help clean up the river channel and riverbanks in Metro Atlanta.  We not only need paddlers who can bring their own kayak or canoe, but also hiker/walker volunteers who can focus on trail maintenance and terrain that is accessible via riverbank trails.  At some sites, walkers will specifically target the removal of invasive non-native vegetation such as privet.  We consider this a "rain-or-shine" event, and our hosts/organizers of SweepTheHooch.org intend to go ahead with it unless there's perhaps a high likelihood of severe thunderstorms.

GENERAL EVENT PLAN:  The host organization ( www.SweepTheHooch.org ) will notify each successful registrant about the specific meetup time and directions for the river section that you successfully register for through that website.  The usual $3 per vehicle Parking Fee is WAIVED for all officially registered Sweep the Hooch volunteers!  Each volunteer upon arrival will check in with the CRNRA and CRK hosts and take part in their safety briefing.  They'll assign each volunteer to a specific "paddling" or "walking" group and distribute trash bags, work gloves, etc.  Our AOC paddlers who successfully register for the suggested Powers Island section and can bring their own boat will meet me and our hosts at 9:00 AM at the "Powers Island" parking lot of the Chattahoochee River Nat'l Recreation Area (CRNRA – see detailed directions below).

POWERS ISLAND PADDLERS' PLAN:  (See driving directions below.) We'll focus on cleaning up trash along the river itself and easily accessible portions of its adjoining riverbank between I-285 and US-41. After checking to make sure we're all OK with our boats and gear, we'll launch from the large wooden dock on the far side of Powers Island—about a 5-minute "carry" with our boats & gear from the parking lot.  After paddling under the I-285 bridge, we'll pass "Ray's on the River" and the old Riverbend apartment complex.  Our first Class I rapid will be on "river right" by Riverbend, then we'll bear left to shoot the Class-I "Devil's Race Course" rapid.  After another Class-I at a big rightward bend in the river we'll pass the famous "Jumping Rock" on river left.  After a very shoaly section and a couple more Class-I rapids we'll pass under the I-75 bridge and take out on river right at the convenient "Paces Mill" CRNRA concrete ramp, about a quarter-mile upstream of the US-41 bridge.

PADDLERS' SHUTTLE SET-UP PLAN for POWERS ISLAND:  (Note change since this article was first posted!)  Our CRK and CRNRA hosts will provide shuttle setup assistance!  All registered Powers Island Paddlers will check in at 9:00 AM at our Powers Island "put-in" lot.  After unloading our gear we'll drive as many vehicles as possible to the Paces Mill take-out lot by US-41 – just a 10-minute drive – while non-drivers will stay at Powers Island to watch our boats and gear. Our hosts will provide transportation for drivers from Paces Mill back to Powers Island prior to our river cleanup launch.
  After the cleanup, assuming you've left your vehicle at our US-41 takeout, you should be able to depart immediately with your boat and gear.   For any who may still have their vehicle parked upstream, some of us can assist by providing rides if necessary.

MORE ABOUT THE I-285 to GA-41 RIVER SECTION:  In this gorgeous section rocky "palisades" rise steeply on both sides of the river and there's a wilderness aura much like being in the mountains.  Its Class I and easier rapids are generally suitable for beginners, although our CRK and CRNRA hosts prefer that you have previous whitewater experience when cleaning up this section by water.

No Charge – Free event, with only the usual $3 CRNRA self-serve Parking Fee (good at multiple CRNRA lots in case you pay in one lot but park also in another on the same day).