Saturday, March 22, 2025

Volunteer registration for each cleanup site opens Friday, February 14, 2025

Sweep the Hooch is an annual watershed-wide trash cleanup that brings together hundreds of volunteers each year at dozens of parks, tributaries, and access points along the Chattahoochee River.

Thank you to our Presenting Partner, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, for hosting 14 cleanup sites within the National Park boundaries. We couldn’t host an event like Sweep the Hooch without the support of our sponsors and partners! See below for a full list.

Registration

Registration for Sweep the Hooch opens Friday, February 14, 2025. 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, Muscogee, Russell (AL), and Troup Counties.

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.

Last year during Sweep the Hooch, we removed 32.5 TONS of trash together! Of that, 2.25 tons were recycled.

Check out photos from our 14th Annual Sweep the Hooch below.

Volunteer Assignments

Volunteers can chose to be walkers/waders or paddlers. Note that each site has a limited amount of volunteer openings. Once a site reaches its 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 [email protected].

A smiling volunteer wearing waders.
Two volunteers push a large tire up a pathway.

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.

Support A Trash-Free Chattahoochee

DONATE

For every $10 donated, CRK is able to remove one pound of trash from our waterways. In 29 years of keeping watch over our waters, 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.

Volunteer gives a thumbs up while posing with a wheelbarrow filled with trash bags.

A ton of thanks to the sponsors of
Sweep The Hooch 2025

Site Hosts

Atlanta Memorial Park Conservancy
Atlanta Rowing Club
Blight Bandits
Blue Heron Nature Preserve
Carroll County
Chattahoochee Hills Parks Commission
Chattahoochee River National Recreational Area
Chattahoochee Riverkeeper
City of Chattahoochee Hills
City of Cornelia
City of Sugar Hill
Cobb PARKS
Collier Hills Civic Association
Cool River Headwaters Outpost
DeVine GA
Don Carter State Park
Dragonfly Trail Network
Friends of Bolton Parks with Connect the Comet
Friends of Chattahoochee Bend State Park
Gainesville Parks and Recreation
Groundwork Atlanta
Grove Park Neighborhood Association
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources
Hardman Farm State Historic Site
Keep Newnan Beautiful
Keep North Fulton Beautiful
Lake Lanier Association
Middle Chattahoochee Sierra Club Group
Murphey Candler Park Conservancy
Oconee River Chapter of Trout Unlimited
Peachtree Creek Greenway
Phenix City
Riverwalk Atlanta
Roswell Rotary Club
Soque River Watershed Association
South Fork Conservancy
Students for a Sustainable World at Columbus State University
Sweetwater Creek State Park
Trust for Public Land
Unicoi Outfitters
Upper Chattahoochee Chapter of Trout Unlimited
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
White County 4-H

Interested in hosting a cleanup site for Sweep the Hooch?
Email [email protected] to learn more.

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