Maryville, TN – In a remarkable display of community effort, more than 500 volunteers gathered in Knox, Anderson, Blount, and Loudon counties earlier this month to take part in the 36th annual Ijams River Rescue. The event, held on March 8, resulted in the removal of over 17 tons of debris from the Tennessee River, creeks, streams, and shorelines.
According to Ijams Nature Center, the total weight of trash collected was 14,402 pounds. Volunteers filled 1,157 bags with waste and removed 110 tires, along with a variety of larger items, including televisions, industrial cables, a golf bag, and even a bowling ball. Some of the more unexpected finds included a $10 bill, an unopened beer, a saw, and a computer system, demonstrating the wide range of items that end up in the waterways.
Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful, one of the event’s cleanup partners, contributed significantly by gathering nearly 7,000 pounds of trash from eight coves in Fort Loudon Lake in Lenoir City. The combined efforts of numerous organizations, nonprofit groups, and local volunteers made this year’s cleanup the largest in recent memory.
Ijams Volunteer Manager Brandy Cox expressed her gratitude for the participation, stating, “Nonprofit cleanup organizations, neighborhood groups, sponsors, and volunteers all have a common goal: to improve the health and cleanliness of the lands and waters in our communities. The Ijams River Rescue is just one day a year, but cleanups are a year-round labor of love. We all work together to improve East Tennessee, and our histories are intertwined.”
The 2025 Ijams River Rescue was a significant increase in both the scale of the event and the amount of trash collected compared to the previous year. In 2024, the cleanup removed an estimated 10.48 tons of trash from 31 sites in Knox and Blount counties. This year, the event expanded to include new cleanup sites in Anderson and Loudon counties, further amplifying its impact on the region’s waterways.
The success of the Ijams River Rescue would not have been possible without the support of key partners, including the City of Knoxville Stormwater Engineering, Dow, First Horizon Bank, Brunswick Boat Group, Vulcan Materials Company, Borderland Tees, Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union, Old Sevier District, Tailwater Properties, and Tennessee Valley Authority. Additionally, local organizations such as CAC AmeriCorps and the Water Quality Forum played crucial roles in supporting the cleanup efforts.
Through this collaborative effort, Ijams Nature Center and its partners demonstrated the power of community action in preserving and restoring the environment. As Cox noted, while the event may be one day each year, the work to protect the region’s natural resources continues throughout the year, with local groups committed to ensuring a cleaner, healthier future for East Tennessee’s waterways.
