Join us on October 6, 2018, for the

16th Annual Riversweep!

The Catawba Riverkeeper and the Lake Wylie Marine Commission organize Riversweep, the annual lake clean up event that takes place on the first Saturday in October. Online registration for this event will end on Monday, October 1, 2018. If you miss the online registration deadline, you can still participate. Just show up at the site of your choice on the morning of the event. If you are a group leader or wish to participate as a boat captain, please e-mail registrar@catawbariverkeeper.org.

This is a fun volunteer opportunity to clean up Lake Wylie and area creeks and streams. Come alone or bring your family, friends, co-workers or neighbors. Kids are welcome, and they are some of our hardest workers! You will join residents from all around the lake who care about maintaining a clean and healthy environment.

Regardless of whether you’re a new participant or an experienced Riversweep volunteer, it's easy to come and lend a hand for a few hours, meet like-minded people, and have a great time. People who have limited physical ability can fulfill many of the tasks performed at each volunteer site.

Do you own a boat? If you do, please consider bringing it and pre-registering as a boat captain. Each year, as our volunteer numbers grow, we need more and more boats to transport workers to clean the shoreline and collect trash. Protective tarps will be provided.

Read through the following checklist to help you prepare for Riversweep. Then click on the Register button above to pre-register online. It’s easy and takes just minutes to complete.

• Select a volunteer site that is convenient for you from one of the locations listed on the left side of this page.

• Wear comfortable, old clothing, closed-toe shoes that can get wet and muddy, a hat or sun visor and sunscreen.

• Bring a snack or bag lunch with you, as no food is provided this year.

• Riversweep Site Captains will distribute bottled water, work gloves, and trash bags to their volunteers.

• Be sure to read the Assumption of Risk & Release form.  On the registration form, you will be asked to check a box stating that you agree to the terms stated in the form.

• Note for volunteers less than 18 years of age: You may pre-register, but you are also required to print out a copy of the Assumption of Risk & Release form, obtain a parent or guardian signature on the form, and bring it with them to the event.

• Note for volunteers less than 13 years of age: Under state law, you must wear a Coast Guard-approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD) when on board watercraft. If you have a PFD or life jacket of your own, please bring it to Riversweep and wear it when you're out on the water.

• If you have questions about the pre-registration process, please e-mail the Registrar at hillary@catawbariverkeeper.org.

• Boat Captains must be 21 or over. Boat Captains under 25 years of age must have passed a state approved boater safety course.

The first 750 volunteers who pre-register will receive a free Riversweep t-shirt!

If you have not pre-registered, but want to participate, just show up on Saturday, October 6th at 8:00 A.M. at any of the site locations listed. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee a t-shirt for participants who are not pre-registered prior to the event.

If you are pre-registering a group of more than 10 members, please e-mail the Registrar at hillary@catawbariverkeeper.org for separate registration instructions.

All registered group leaders and boat captains will be contacted in advance of the event by a Riversweep organizer to provide additional information and instructions.

Thank you for giving one morning out of the year to care for your lake and your community.

Review the map and select the site location where you would like to work, then click on the appropriate link below. To qualify for group registration, your group must have 10 or more members.

Choose One:

Boat Captain Registration

The Riversweep is sponsored by the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation and the Lake Wylie Marine Commission.