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July is the official “Lakes Appreciation Month,” but you can play your part in keeping America’s favorite freshwater bodies clean and healthy year-round with these lake clean-up events near you.

Lake Jordan, Alabama

The Lake Jordan Homeowners & Boat Owners Association, better known as the Lake Jordan HOBO, is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the reservoir’s recreational opportunities, water quality and cleanliness.

Each April, community members and volunteers from the surrounding area take to Bonner’s Landing Boat Ramp to participate in the HOBO’s annual lake clean-up day.

Complete with a catered lunch and free t-shirts provided by Alabama Power, the event is one of the largest on the lake all year.

Since its inaugural run in 1991, the Lake Jordan HOBO’s clean-up day has contributed to the collection of more than 15 million pounds of debris across Alabama’s lakes.

To learn more about the Lake Jordan community, or to get involved in the next HOBO clean-up event, please visit https://www.lakejordanhobo.org/.

Lake Gaston, Virginia

Lake Gaston spans an impressive 20,300 acres across both Virginia and North Carolina. The Lake Gaston Association serves as a voice for business and property owners across state lines and throughout the five counties the lake touches.

In addition to keeping members up to date with Lake Gaston happenings, the Association also advocates for the lake’s protection and preservation through its Lake Clean-Up Committee.

In June, Association members, waterfront property owners, and lake-area shops and business participate in a lake-wide clean-up event by removing trash along the Lake Gaston’s shoreline and taking to the water in kayaks and canoes to remove trash and other debris.

For more information, contact the LGA at LakeCleanup@LakeGastonAssoc.com or 888-586-6577.

Lake Hamilton, Arkansas

The Trash Bash Council has one mission: keep Arkansas’ lakes beautiful.

The Council organizes two annual events appropriately named “Trash Bash for Cash” and the “Trash Bash.”

“Trash Bash for Cash”, held each spring, is a four-hour fundraising event during which teams work together to clean specific areas across Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine.

After the four hours are up, teams drop off their bags of trash and trash-bag sized items — like busted coolers and fishing nets – in a designated area to be counted by members of the Trash Bash Council.

For each bag or item collected, the Council pays $5 to put toward additional events throughout the year.

Each team can raise up to $200 through Council contributions alone, but members can increase their fundraising potential by pledging donations of their own.

In the fall, the Trash Bash Council hosts THE “Trash Bash,” a day-long clean-up effort on the shores and roads surrounding Lake Hamilton, Lake Catherine and the Ouachita River.

Named the largest clean-up effort in Arkansas by Keep Arkansas Beautiful, the “Trash Bash” also includes a catered BBQ lunch, prize drawings, free t-shirts, and live entertainment.

Visit arkansastrashbash.org for more on how you can get involved.

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