September 23, 2008

Charlotte, NC – Pick up a bag, put on some gloves and help sweep Mecklenburg County waterways clean on Saturday, October 4. It's North Carolina Big Sweep – a day for Mecklenburg County residents to help restore the beauty and function of our creeks, streams, lakes, and other waterways.

Volunteers can report to one of the following eight sites between 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Campbell Creek Greenway - 2100 Margaret Wallace Road
Latta Plantation Nature Preserve - 5226 Sample Road
Lower McAlpine Greenway - 8100 Pineville-Matthews Road (Hwy 51)
Mallard Creek Elementary School - 9801 Mallard Creek Road
Walker Branch Greenway - Walker Branch Road (off NC 49)
Ramsey Creek Park - 18441 Nantz Road
Ray's Splash Planet - 215 North Sycamore Street
Ribbonwalk - 4601 Nevin Road
Southeast Greenway in Davidson - 635 South Street, Davidson

Volunteers will be provided with trash bags, gloves, snacks, water and instructions from a site coordinator. They are asked to collect what litter they can from stream channels, lake shorelines and report any questionable or oversized litter.

N.C. Big Sweep is an annual, statewide event that calls volunteers to action to remove trash and debris from creeks, lakes and rivers. For more than a decade, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services has organized this effort in Mecklenburg County. The event is an ideal opportunity for citizens, church groups, trade organizations, school clubs, etc. to get involved and take a stand against water pollution. Litter is deadly to wildlife that eats it or becomes entangled in it. It's also a human health hazard when it attracts mosquitoes and rodents and contaminates our water supply.

For more information or to register as a N.C. Big Sweep volunteer, call Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services at 311 or check the Web site http://stormwater.charmeck.org.