LOGAN MARTIN LAKE, Al. - Although the official numbers are not in yet, the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association (LMLPA) annual lake cleanup was a resounding success.
Volunteers were greeted with beautiful weather Saturday, as they gathered at one of six collection sites to pick up gloves and special trash collection bags. They then went out to pick up trash along the shorelines and from the waterways of Logan Martin Lake.
At noon, they were treated to a special lunch of barbecue and hotdogs, chips, and drinks donated for the annual cleanup picnic at Lakeside Landing.
"We had a good number of volunteers our here Saturday," said Bud Kitchin, chair of the annual LMLPA lake cleanup.
The LMLPA lake cleanup was March 30-April 4. It is part of the Alabama Power Company "Renew Our Rivers" program, which involves thousands of volunteers and takes place on many lakes in Alabama and the southeast.
"We won't know how much trash was collected until the dumpsters are picked up and the trash weighed at the landfill," Kitchin said.
He said volunteers filled, or nearly filled, approximately eight dumpsters with lake trash.
"The pontoon boat participation this year was at an all-time high," Kitchin said.
Kitchin said he believes because the lake water level was higher this year than in previous years for the cleanup, it allowed more volunteers to put their boats in the water to assist with the cleanup.
"It was a beautiful day, and people wanted to get out and make a difference," he said.
Kitchin said the higher water level allowed volunteers to clear out a number of large trash objects including a box freezer, barrels, hot water heaters, misplaced docks, and numerous other items.
"We pulled out a good many tires as well," he said.
