SAS Project: Protect The Vernon
This page profiles an individual project associated with the Trash Free Waters South Atlantic Strategy (SAS). For additional information about this effort, or to get involved, please reach out to the project contact identified below.
On this page:
Detailed Project Information
Description: The Protect The Vernon project provides hands-on community awareness, K-12 field trips, immediate water quality benefits from reduced environmental hazard impacts(pathogens and litter), and restoration planning for long-term sustainability in the Vernon River and its tributaries (Savannah, Georgia). Existing monitoring will be enhanced and targeted in high-contribution areas with field-proven, data-driven methods. Outreach activities will create materials from study results, assemble a watershed stakeholder committee for restoration planning, and recruit participation from high impacts areas. Both restoration and outreach activities will be extensively measured to quantify impacts.
Project Partners: None identified.
Current Project Outcomes: 1974 pounds of litter removed, 421 students engaged, 51 volunteers, and 6 adopt-a-stream citizens trained.
Long-Term Project Outcomes: To improve the overall water quality of the Vernon River watershed by reducing the amount of litter flowing through the waterways; Public awareness about the pollution in the Vernon River; Link on ORK website with collected litter data displayed; increase multigenerational community engagement; Institutionalized monitoring and awareness; Increased community capacity for sustainability; Positioning for future funding.