Help Save Our River

Join the longest running river clean-up in the Tennessee river basin

Save the Date! October 3rd, 2026

Host a Clean-Up

The Tennessee River Rescue is a community-led initiative run by local Zone Leaders. A zone leader can manage a private (such as a school, scout troop, or business) zone or one that is open to the general public.

Volunteer

Join the longest running river clean-up in the Tennessee River basin. There are 30+ different volunteer sites and opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to help.

Sponsor

If you would like to be a sponsor (and have your name on our T-shirt), the cost to add your company name to the back of the shirt is $300.

River Rescue Schools

South Chickamauga watershed schools and clubs are invited to participate in this year’s Tennessee River Rescue by hosting a campus clean-up or joining the October 4th event. Students will create a 2-4 minute video showcasing their clean-up efforts and why keeping litter out of the Tennessee River and its tributaries is important.

Donate

We hope you will consider a donation to help keep the Tennessee River Basin beautiful! We hope you will join us because together we are the solution.

Be a Part of the Solution

Protect the Tennessee River and Its Tributaries

Our Story

The Tennessee River Rescue was founded over thirty years ago by a group of environmentalists who decided that enough was enough. Motivated by the trash lining the Tennessee River, they started a grassroots effort to make a difference.

Local non-profit WaterWays carries on this vision by coordinating an effort along with community leaders and hundreds of volunteers to remove debris during the annual Tennessee River Rescue around the Chattanooga Region.

Our next River Rescue is on October 4th, 2025 and we hope you join us!

Learn More About Us

2025 impact

Volunteers

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Pounds of Trash

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Counties in Three States

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The 37th Annual Tennessee River Rescue took place on October 4th, 2025. Volunteers took to the shorelines and waters of the Tennessee River and its tributaries and removed over 58,600 pounds of trash and 409 tires. In addition to this amazing effort, we figure through our outreach and media coverage that over 40,000 people were made aware of the state of our watershed’s litter issues, which is a step in the right direction towards caring for our waters.

Why is it so successful? Because you are part of something bigger, you are joining with others, seeing immediate results, but more importantly, getting close to the animals you are helping. You see the turtles, herons, kingfishers, and frogs. You are making a difference.

Christine Bock Hunt, former River Rescue Coordinator.

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Make a Donation to WaterWays

Our mission at WaterWays is to empower individuals to protect and restore the waters where they live, work, and play. We are the not-for-profit organization that coordinates the Tennessee River Rescue, but it is the sponsors and volunteers that make it happen each year. We hope you will consider a donation and be a part of this event to clean up a vital part of what makes the TN River Basin beautiful! We hope you will join us because together we are the solution.