FRANKLIN
This year the Blackwater Nottoway Riverkeeper Program designated the entire month of April as Clean Rivers Month instead of our usual one Clean Rivers Day. It seemed to give a few more groups the flexibility to cleanup for the community a little better that a one-day event.

As of this writing we had 18 teams/127 people. They all did a great job and the community owes them a big “Thank You.”

Teams participating were (in no particular order) Historic Southside Virginia Master Naturalist, Franklin Lions Club, Franklin Alpha Kappa Sorority, Joyner Gray Yale Ruritans, Franklin Garden Club, Team Felice Hancock, Hubs Peanuts, Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, International Paper, Country Acres Garden Club, Team Turner/Rogers, Team Davenport, Blackwater Outfitters, Team Curtis Newsome, YMCA Leaders Club, Team Dick Gilbert and, of course, me.

Also making this event a success was the City of Franklin, Southampton County and the fine folks at Courtland VDOT.

I thank you all very much. The heavyweight team this year was International Paper.

Strangest item found goes to Hubs for finding a stereo turntable. Even I have never found one of those while cleaning up.

I want to give a special mention to the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia for dealing with a bunch of tractor-trailer tires that were dumped at the state boat facility at Careys Bridge. That took a lot of effort to deal with that, and thank you Mike Johnson for helping get those gone.

Below are stats in order of weight collected over the past 16 years of this event — 95,451 pounds of trash collected!

2004: 130 volunteers; 9,240 pounds or 4.62 tons

2006: 120 volunteers; 7,795 pounds or 3.89 tons

2014: 182 volunteers; 6,562 pounds or 3.28 tons

2008: 110 volunteers; 6,560 pounds or 3.28 tons

2012: 187 volunteers; 6,335 pounds or 3.16 tons

2003: 110 volunteers; 6,300 pounds or 3.15 tons

2007: 136 volunteers; 6,291 pounds or 3.14 tons

2011: 234 volunteers; 6,153 pounds or 3.07 tons

2001: 200 volunteers; 6,000 pounds or 3.00 tons

2013: 175 volunteers; 5,745 pounds or 2.87 tons

2016: 127 volunteers; 5,685 pounds or 2.84 tons

2002: 150 volunteers; 5,485 pounds or 2.74 tons

2005: 100 volunteers; 5,130 pounds or 2.56 tons

2009: 109 volunteers; 5,120 pounds or 2.56 tons

2010: 145 volunteers; 4,135 pounds or 2.06 tons

2015: 84 volunteers; 2,875 pounds or 1.43 tons

JEFF TURNER is the Blackwater/Nottoway Riverkeeper. He can be reached at blknotkpr@earthlink.net.