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Little River Cleanup Recap: A Ton of Trash That Won’t Reach Allatoona

More than 30 volunteers removed an estimated ton of trash from the Little River at Rope Mill Park in Woodstock, keeping it out of Lake Allatoona.

Etowah River Posted by Etowah River in Blog 1 min read

A group of volunteers for the Little River clean up October 17 2026.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Rope Mill Park for the Fall Little River Cleanup! The cleanup took place on Saturday, October 17, and it was a beautiful fall morning. In fact, more than 30 volunteers came out to help.

Volunteers of all ages took part, from longtime river stewards to first-timers and young helpers. First, they spread out along the Little River with gloves, grabbers, and bags. Then crews worked the muddy banks and climbed through brush under the bridges. They also pulled debris from the low-water shoreline, which is usually hidden underwater.

Pink dumpster heaped with bags of trash, a black drainage pipe, a rusty pipe and muddy plastic sheeting pulled from the river.
Two volunteers with trash grabbers and full bags stand on a sandy riverbank beneath the concrete pillars of a highway bridge.
Two volunteers in gloves pick litter out of tangled brush and tall grass on a slope beside a concrete bridge.
Four smiling volunteers in jackets hold trash grabbers and yellow, black and white bags on a wooded trail.
Smiling adult volunteer with a net and yellow trash bag stands beside a child holding a muddy soccer ball found by the river.

By the end of the day, we had filled an entire dumpster. In total, volunteers removed an estimated ton of trash. For example, they hauled out drainage pipe, old PVC, plastic sheeting, and foam. They even rescued a muddy soccer ball from the riverbank! Otherwise, all of that trash would have washed into the Etowah and on to Lake Allatoona.

However, most of that litter didn’t start out in the river. Instead, rain washes it off parking lots, roadsides, and yards and into storm drains. From there, it flows into creeks along with sediment, fertilizer, and oil. This is called nonpoint source pollution, and litter is one of its most visible forms. As a result, cleanups are a regular part of our trash removal work across the Upper Etowah.

The Little River is one of the Etowah’s tributaries. Rope Mill Park is also one of Woodstock’s favorite places to hike, bike, and fish. Cleanups like this one help keep it that way. And they only happen because people like you give up a Saturday morning to help.

This cleanup was part of Rivers Alive, Georgia’s statewide volunteer waterway cleanup program.

Thank You to Our Partners

A huge thank you to every volunteer who joined us. We’re also grateful to the partners and sponsors who made the day possible:

Simply put, we couldn’t do this without your support.

Join Us on the River

Missed this one? Don’t worry, there’s always more work to do. Check our upcoming events to find the next cleanup. You can also volunteer with the Upper Etowah River Alliance in other ways, such as stream monitoring. We’d love to see you out there!

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