Roll Out the Barrels Wrap-Up

When we decided to transition Roll Out the Barrels to a virtual auction earlier this year, we were slightly nervous about how it would turn out. Fast forward to now - several days after the close of the auction - and we are incredibly happy (and grateful) to announce that 2021 was our most successful fundraiser yet, with 16 one-of-a-kind painted rain barrels bringing in $8,570!

We'd like to thank everyone who placed a bid, including the 16 individuals who fought hard for their favorites until the very end. Participating artists will receive a commission from their barrel sale, and remaining funds go directly to the Athens-Clarke County Green School Program.

Additional thanks go to the artists who spent time designing and painting the barrels, the Athens-Clarke County Water Conservation Office and Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful for helping plan the event, and the Lyndon House Arts Center for providing the perfect home for the barrels while they were on display.

Thank you, Athens, for your support of local art, water conservation, and environmental education! See you in 2022!

Stormwater Recognized as Education Program of Excellence for Second Year

The Athens-Clarke County Stormwater Management Program was recently named an "Education Program of Excellence" in the Watershed Category by the Georgia Association of Water Professionals for the second year in a row. This award is given out annually to municipalities that demonstrate excellence and innovation in the realm of water, wastewater, and watershed education. Despite interruptions to programming due to COVID-19, from June 2019 to May 2020 the Stormwater Education Specialist conducted 23 K-12/youth activities, attended 11 public events, and helped organized 5 community volunteer opportunities. We consider education and public awareness a critical piece of stormwater management and will continue to strive for excellence in our programming.

Want to read more about our Education Program? View the full award application on our website under the "Downloadable Resources" tab.

Call for Photos

It's almost time to start putting together the 5th edition of our Stormwater Calendar, and we are looking for photos of water or nature scenes around Athens. To submit a photo to be considered for the 2022 Calendar, email the image to stormwater@accgov.com with the name of the photographer and a description of when, where, and why it was taken. It could end up featured!

Upcoming Events

Secure Your Load Day & Awareness Week
June 6, 2021 - June 12, 2021
All Around Athens

Trucks traveling with uncovered loads contribute to littered roadways and vehicle accidents. In an effort to reduce roadside litter and protect Athens residents, Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful and the ACCGov Litter Abatement Steering Committee will celebrate National Secure Your Load Day the week of June 6th. Partners will distribute educational materials and safety resources to raise awareness of Georgia's unsecured load laws and local litter ordinances. To report littering or unsecured loads, call the Litter Hotline at 706-613-3506 or visit www.keepathensbeauitful.org.

Green Thumb Lecture Series: Drought Tolerant Gardening
Wednesday, June 9, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Online via Zoom

Join Athens-Clarke County Extension and the ACCGov Water Conservation Office online for a free, educational webinar about how to conserve water in your garden, drought tolerant gardening strategies, and recommendations for drought tolerant plants. Gardeners of all experience levels are welcome. Register by June 8 at
www.accgov.com/gardening to be emailed the Zoom link.

2021 Litter Index
June 1, 2021 - July 16, 2021
All Around Athens

The Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful office requests assistance in completing the 2021 Litter Index. They are asking residents to complete at least one 30-minute survey using the Debris Tracker App with the Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful +UGA list. You can survey any point in Athens-Clarke County or choose one of the suggested survey sites. More in-depth instructions, a video, the suggested survey sites, and a link to download can be found at www.accgov.com/litterindex. Complete the survey on its own or survey litter as a part of any other cleanup event. Surveys should be completed by Friday, July 16.

Contact Us

Stormwater Management Program
Department of Transportation and Public Works
Athens-Clarke County Unified Government
120 W. Dougherty Street
Athens, GA 30601
706-613-3440
stormwater@accgov.com
www.accgov.com/stormwater

Notice Dumping?

Call the Stormwater Hotline at 706-614-1282 if you see someone dumping into a storm drain or notice flooding due to clogged pipes.