Renew Our Rivers cleanup campaign kicks off 27th year on Alabama’s waterways

There’s nothing more beautiful than a sunrise over an Alabama lake – and Mike Clelland and the Environmental Affairs (EA) team help protect those gorgeous views, keeping them clean and pristine.

For 18 years, Clelland has coordinated Alabama Power’s Renew Our Rivers (ROR) cleanup program. While putting the EA boat on the water, Clelland has seen more sunrises than he can count. He and other EA members arrive before volunteers to make sure each event runs smoothly. Before every cleanup, Clelland and other EA employees map the areas where trash, bottles and Styrofoam tend to collect.

In 2025, Clelland and the EA team worked in 28 ROR events across the state, where more than 3,500 volunteers removed about 243,000 pounds of trash. Since the program’s beginning on the Coosa River in Gadsden, volunteers have cleared approximately 13.7 million pounds of debris from Alabama waterways.

After a brief winter’s respite, Clelland said he’s ready to return to the water and is looking forward to another great cleanup season. “After 26 years, our volunteers are still excited about Renew Our Rivers,” said EA Specialist Clelland. “They understand the value, seeing the big improvement afterwards. They’re ready to get out there.”

Providing a ‘refresh and reset’

Approximately 27 cleanups are planned for the 2026 Renew Our Rivers schedule. The program will kick off on March 7 with the annual Valley Creek Cleanup, spanning areas including Adger, Bessemer, Birmingham and Providence. Jefferson County Educational Training Coordinator Reilly Farrell said his department has worked in tandem with ROR staff for 16 years, with volunteers targeting debris in local streams. The Jefferson County division is responsible for addressing pollution that enters the county’s storm sewer system, ensuring clean waterways and protecting the environment.

Farrell called ROR an “uplifting event.” He said it provides residents a chance to live in a cleaner community – providing a “refresh and reset” for less privileged areas.

“We’re looking to get rid of anything that doesn’t belong in the water,” said Farrell, who has worked for Jefferson County for about a year. “It’s important to rid the streams of plastic bottles because they put off dangerous toxins that can leech into the water and damage the ecosystem.”

ROR volunteers include members of homeowner and boat owner associations, civic organizations, Boy Scouts and Girl Scout troops and other groups. All are welcome to join the effort. Visit alabamapower.com/ROR to learn how to get involved.