Save the Date!
Saturday, March 20, 2027
Volunteer registration opens February 2027
On Saturday, March 21, 2026, CRK hosted our 16th Annual Sweep the Hooch cleanup, bringing nearly 1,400 volunteers together for a watershed-wide day of service. Spread out across 67 parks, creeks, and river access points, we removed an incredible 32.19 TONS of trash and recyclables from our waterways! Enjoy photos from the day at the link below.
Volunteer Assignments
Volunteers can chose to be either walkers/waders or paddlers. Note that each site has a limited amount of volunteer openings. Once a site reaches capacity, registration for that site will close – so we encourage you to register early.
- WALKERS/WADERS are land-based volunteers who will pick up trash in and around the river or tributaries. Most cleanup sites require getting into shallow water – this is where the trash is. Waders, rain boots, and water shoes are adequate unless noted otherwise in the site description. At some sites, walkers will specifically target invasive, non-native vegetation (such as privet).
- PADDLERS will use kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards and travel between three and five miles per segment while picking up litter. These crafts are useful in collecting debris from portions of the river that cannot be accessed from the land side. Volunteers must provide their own kayaks, canoes, and/or SUPs. Boats are not available on-site.
Questions about volunteering? Contact tbates@chattahoochee.org.
Teams
We welcome teams, but all volunteers must register individually. This event is perfect for groups such as companies, schools, clubs, etc. We can only reserve group spots at specific sites for paid sponsors, but you are encouraged to gather your friends, choose a site together, and register early. During the registration process, enter your team name and we will do our best to keep your team together before volunteer spots for your chosen site reach capacity.
Registration
During registration, each volunteer will be required to sign the CRK Liability Waiver, which can be found here. This form will be authorized as an electronic signature during the registration process.
Registration is divided into three regions: Headwaters (North) which includes cleanup locations in Forsyth, Habersham, Hall, and White Counties; Metro Atlanta which includes cleanup locations in Carroll, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, and Gwinnett Counties; and Middle Chattahoochee (South) which includes cleanup locations in Coweta, Heard, Muscogee, Russell, and Troup Counties.
Click here to review all the 2026 cleanup sites by region.
Youth Participation
Please note that while we welcome children, they must be supervised at all times by an adult. Although a cleanup is not usually dangerous, it can be to an unattended child. Parents will not be allowed to drop off children and leave – you must remain onsite with your child. Walkers and waders must be at least ten years old. If paddling solo, the paddler must be at least 15 years old. If paddling tandem, youth must be at least ten years old and accompanied by an adult at least 21 years old.
Support A Trash-Free Chattahoochee
DONATE
For every $10 donated, CRK is able to remove one pound of trash from our waterways. Since 1994, CRK has removed more than two million pounds of trash and tires. Your donation enables us to buy trash bags, gloves, cleanup gear, and more. Whether you’re a volunteer or just want to give back to the river that gives us so much, your support makes a difference.
BECOME A SPONSOR
It takes a diverse group of people, organizations, and businesses to coordinate an event like Sweep the Hooch. Support at any level means we can provide even more opportunities to connect and care for the river we all need.
A ton of thanks to the sponsors of
Sweep The Hooch 2026
We couldn’t host an event like Sweep the Hooch without the support of our sponsors and partners! Thank you to our Presenting Partner, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, for hosting 15 cleanup sites within the National Park boundaries.
Site Hosts
Atlanta Memorial Park Conservancy
Atlanta Rowing Club
Blight Bandits
Blue Heron Nature Preserve
Carroll County Parks Department
Chattahoochee Hills Parks Commission
Chattahoochee Outdoors
Chattahoochee River Conservancy
Chattahoochee River National Recreational Area
Chattahoochee Riverkeeper
City of Cornelia
City of Mableton
City of Roswell
Cobb County Parks
Collier Hills Civic Association
Columbus Botanical Garden
Consolidated Resources, LLC
Cool River Tubing and Adventures
Cross Creek and Hanover West Communities
Devine GA
Don Carter State Park
Durham Sears Real Estate
Emory University
Friends of Chattahoochee Bend State Park
Gainesville Parks and Recreation
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Grove Park Neighborhood Association
Gwinnett Dept of Water Resources
Hardman Farm
Heard County Outfitters
Keep Newnan Beautiful
Keep North Fulton Beautiful
Keep Roswell Beautiful
Lake Lanier Association
Middle Chattahoochee Sierra Club Group
Morgan Falls Overlook Park
Murphey Candler Park Conservancy
Nantahala Outdoor Center
Oxbow Meadows
Peachtree Creek Greenway Inc
Proctor Creek Stewardship Council
Roswell Rotary Club
Soque River Watershed Association
South Fork Conservancy
South Fulton Sand Co.
Sweetwater Creek State Park + Friends Group
Trust for Public Land
Unicoi Outfitters
Upper Chattahoochee Chapter of Trout Unlimited
US Army Corps of Engineers
West Atlanta Watershed Alliance
White Co 4-H
Interested in hosting a cleanup site for Sweep the Hooch?
Email tbates@chattahoochee.org to learn more.
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