NRC River Month Clean-up at Independence

August is Clean River Month in Grayson County! Join the New River Conservancy and local volunteers to kick off Clean River Month.

Meet your fellow River Protectors at 9 AM on Saturday, August 2, at the Independence Boat Launch just off Route 21 before you cross the bridge into North Carolina.

Help clean up tires, trash, downed limbs, and small hurricane debris from this portion of the New River.

Contact [email protected] to sign up for the clean-up. Call 276-773-8002 with additional questions.

CLEAN-UP LOCATION: Independence DWR Boat Landing off Route 21. (Be wary of GPS! When in doubt, contact the Clean-up coordinator for directions ahead of time.)

LINK TO GOOGLE MAPS -> 36°34’19.4″N 81°09’07.4″W – Google Maps

Physical Coordinates: 36.572043, -81.152056

From Independence, head south on US-21/US-221/New River Pkwy, turn right onto SR-701/Old River Ln, continue onto SR-700/Old River Ln, and the parking area will be on the right in approximately 0.8 miles.

If driving north on US-21/US-221/New River Pkwy, turn left onto SR-701/Old River Ln, continue onto SR-700/Old River Ln, and the parking area will be on the right in approximately 0.8 miles.

HOW TO PLAN FOR YOUR RIVER CLEAN-UP:

• PFDs (Personal Flotation Devices) REQUIRED for your safety
• Sturdy gloves for picking up trash and debris
• Dress to get wet and dirty–you WILL get wet and dirty!
• Wear river-safe shoes, preferably with a closed toe–no flip-flops, please!
• Bring a kayak or canoe if you have them!

Bags will be provided to collect river trash at the Independence Boat Launch site. All trash and debris will be weighed and then collected by our partners at Virginia DWR and Grayson County Public Works.

In the event of severe weather or poor river conditions, the clean-up will be cancelled. Please refer to the clean-up organizers to know if a clean-up is cancelled. Updates will also be posted here and on the Grayson County Tourism Facebook page the night before the clean-up.

Clean River Month in Grayson County is sponsored by: Grayson County Tourism & Economic Development; New River Wildlife & Conservation Club; New River Conservancy; Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources; Grayson Landcare; Preserve Grayson; The Goodwill Grange Hall; Grayson County Democrats.

Thank you for volunteering to be a New River Protector!

For more information on the New River Conservancy’s work to preserve the beauty of the New River, go to their website: New River Conservancy