Local river cleanup group showed me what 3 years of work looks like

I volunteered with the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper crew last weekend and they had photos from 2021 showing the same stretch of bank we were walking on... It was totally choked with tires and shopping carts back then. Now there's actual grass growing and I saw a heron fishing there. They pulled out over 12 tons of trash since starting. Has anyone else seen a local spot turn around that fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

anthonynelson1d ago

Yeah I read a study recently about how river restoration projects actually start seeing real wildlife return after about two to three years if the cleanup is consistent. That heron showing up is a solid sign the ecosystem is bouncing back way faster than people expect. Did the crew mention if they've spotted any fish or turtles coming back to that stretch yet?

robert_ross951d ago

And what about the bugs though? I feel like everyone focuses on the big stuff like fish and turtles, but the insect comeback is what really sets the whole food chain in motion. Did they mention if stonefly or mayfly nymphs are showing up in the gravel beds yet? Those things are like the canary in the coal mine for water quality, they need super clean conditions to survive. If the macroinvertebrates are bouncing back that fast, that heron is basically the tip of the iceberg.

logan_wood1d ago

Slam dunk on that heron showing up, @anthonynelson is spot on about the timeframe. I swear those birds are like nature's little critics, they don't stick around unless the buffet is open. Took a local creek near me about 2 years to go from a literal dumpster fire to having minnows and frogs again after a similar cleanup push. 12 tons is insane, like imagine piling that many shopping carts on your lawn and then trying to explain it to your HOA. Guess the river's hiring policy is stricter than ours - no trash bags allowed.