350 volunteers help clean up waterways in Richland and Lexington counties
Keep the Midlands Beautiful (KMB) coordinated its annual Lake Sweep/River Sweep on September 19, bringing together 350 volunteers to remove litter and debris from Lake Murray and surrounding waterways.
The cleanup involved more than 30 event partners, including Dominion Energy, Lexington County Solid Waste Management and PalmettoPride.
The event is KMB’s contribution to South Carolina’s annual Beach Sweep/River Sweep, hosted by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources and the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium.
Volunteers worked across waterways in Richland and Lexington counties, with participation from a dive team, kayakers, boat crews and volunteers working on land. Their combined efforts resulted in the removal of 6,139 pounds of litter, recyclables and bulk items.
KMB noted that the total was calculated using more accurate weight standards than in previous years. It also does not include some bulk items awaiting removal.
Volunteers who participated in both the 2025 and 2026 cleanups reported a significant decrease in the amount of litter they encountered this year.
Beyond the annual cleanup, KMB relies on small volunteer groups to maintain rivers, boat ramps, islands and other waterways throughout Richland and Lexington counties.
The organization’s Adopt-a-Waterway program, sponsored in part by Dominion Energy, recognizes volunteer groups that remove litter from their adopted waterways at least twice a year for two years.
To view available locations and learn how to adopt a waterway, visit kmbsc.org/about-adopt-a-waterway.
For information about sponsoring next year’s Lake Sweep/River Sweep or other KMB programs, contact Traude Sander at 803-733-1139 or [email protected], or visit kmbsc.org.
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