2022 Smith River Cleanup
August 13, 2022
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Another crazy year and through it all the Smith River has been a welcome distraction and that has helped us get through and it has felt the impact of increased visitation. The pandemic has brought more users to our outdoor infrastructure and this increase in use has some unfortunate consequences in larger volumes of trash.
Many paddlers, hikers, and fishermen are always helping clean up the river each time they visit and every little bit helps but we still want to offer the chance for our river warriors to get together, social distancing and safely as possible, to hit the river on August the 13th , from 9am to 2pm get on river, or in it, and cool off on a hot August day, while giving something back to the environment we love to play in.
The Dan River Basin Association in partnership with The Smith River Sports Complex, Henry County, Smith River Outfitters will be sponsoring the annual clean-up of the Smith River from South Martinsville to the Sports Complex and we want you to be a part of the team.
We meet at the Sports Complex River access parking lot where you can pick up trash bags and gloves and get information on where to go. Many of our usual river warriors will be there to help out and if you want to work from the land or the river, there will be a team and a location to join. If you have a canoe or jon boat and are comfortable on the river, we encourage you to bring them. Come to the Sports Complex to sign in and we will give you a place to go on the river or the land. We need a team starting at the South Martinsville and paddling to Frith Road, and We need teams from Frith road to the Complex. Additional sites for land-based clean-ups include Dupont road, Frith Road, Marrowbone Creek, Fisher Dam, and Eggleston Falls.
If you have a favorite section of the Smith anywhere else, please feel free to clean up that section and bring your results to the Sports Complex to add to the pile. We encourage groups that are getting on the river to bring multiple vehicles to use getting to the put-in and take-out locations as we will not be providing shuttle service for people. We can help you move boats as needed. We will do our best to help get you where you need to go.
Please sign up for a 'walking' shift or a 'paddling' shift so that we can come prepared with the necessary supplies!
