More than 20,000 pounds of trash pulled from local waterways during annual cleanup

Volunteers with the Tennessee River Rescue collected more than 20,000 pounds of litter from local waterways during the annual cleanup event held Saturday, organizers said.

The large-scale effort is part of an ongoing initiative to combat pollution in the Tennessee River Basin. The waste collected contributes not only to environmental degradation but also to clogged storm drains—a factor linked to the severe flooding Chattanooga experienced in August.

Last year’s cleanup effort resulted in 38,000 pounds of trash removed. Organizers expect this year’s final total to surpass that number once all data is reported. So far, 26 out of 65 cleanup sites have submitted results.

Mary Beth Sutton, executive director and founder of the environmental nonprofit WaterWays , said the volume of tra