“We are grateful for a large number of volunteers this year who came to help us with our clean up effort,” said Lake Cleanup Day Project Coordinator Jim Pearson. “The huge turnout also allowed us to clean County Road, Highway 19 and Access Road. These roads surround our lake, and need cleaning regularly. Trash carelessly thrown along Highway 19 easily migrates its way into the lake, with the assistance of a westerly breeze.”

Despite frigid temperatures and brisk winds, 112 volunteers worked the 3 miles of shoreline, hailing from Waynesville, Clyde, Maggie Valley and Asheville. Efforts were led by 71 Junaluskans and included groups from Boy Scout Troop 370, the Tuscola Key Club, Haywood Waterways Association, First United Methodist Church’s Clean & Green team and youth group and the Smokey Mountain Hiker’s Club.

Much of the trash contained in the 184 bags was Styrofoam, with other common materials including plastic bottles, broken glass, fishing lures and line, plastic straws and aluminum cans. Volunteers also removed more than 40 cubic yards of logs, driftwood and construction debris from the shoreline.