September 8, 2006

Charlotte, NC – Pick up a bag, put on some gloves and help sweep Mecklenburg County waterways clean on Saturday, October 7. It’s North Carolina Big Sweep – a day for Mecklenburg County residents to help restore the beauty and function of our creeks, streams, lakes, and other waterways. This year we would like to make it the biggest sweep yet! Volunteers can report to one of the following thirteen sites between 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

• Campbell Creek Greenway: 2100 Margaret Wallace Road
• UNCC Soccer Fields 201 E. Mallard Creek Church Road
• Latta Plantation Nature Preserve: 5226 Sample Road
• Lower McAlpine Greenway: 8100 Pineville-Matthews Road (Hwy. 51)
• Mallard Creek Elementary School: 9801 Mallard Creek Road
• Copperhead Island: 15200 Soldier Road
• Walker Branch Greenway Walker Branch Road (off NC 49)
• Freedom Park: 1908 East Boulevard
• Ramsey Creek Park: 18441 Nantz Road
• Reedy Creek Nature Preserve 2900 Rocky River Road
• Westfield Road 3300 block of Westfield Road
• Ray’s Splash Planet: 215 N Scyamore Street
• Lower McAlpine Creek Greenway 400 block of Vista Grande Circle

Volunteers will be provided with trash bags, gloves, snacks, water and instructions from a site coordinator. They are asked to collect what litter they can from stream channels, lake shorelines and report any questionable or oversized litter.

NEW THIS YEAR! Sweep the creek in your own neighborhood. Organize a group or go it alone, it's quick, easy, and makes a difference in your own community. Then report your data at http://stormwater.charmeck.org to have them counted in the North Carolina Big Sweep total.

N.C. Big Sweep is an annual, statewide event that calls volunteers to action to remove trash and debris from creeks, lakes and rivers. For more than a decade, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services has organized this effort in Mecklenburg County. The event is an ideal opportunity for citizens, church groups, trade organizations, school clubs, etc. to get involved and take a stand against water pollution. Litter is deadly to wildlife that eats it or becomes entangled in it. It’s also a human health hazard when it attracts mosquitoes and rodents and contaminates our water supply.

For more information or to register as a N.C. Big Sweep volunteer, call Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services at 704-336-5500 or check the Web site http://stormwater.charmeck.org.

For results: Media can call 1-800-27-SWEEP (1-800-277-9337) between 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. on October 7 for North Carolina and Mecklenburg County results. The voicemail will be updated throughout the weekend as results come in from the counties.