Press Releases
- 07-24-2008Craney Island Mosquito Spraying July 27
- 07-22-2008Corps, NOAA Deploy 'Smart Buoy' in Chesapeake Bay
- 07-16-2008Lake Drummond Reservation reopens; Dismal Swamp Canal to reduce lock openings to 2 per day
- 06-13-2008Lake Drummond, Reservation temporarily closes due to wildfire threat
- 06-02-2008FNOD Advisory Board Meeting
News
Craney Island spruced up, compliments of 'Clean the Bay Day' volunteers
June 11, 2009
By Jerry Rogers
Norfolk District Public Affairs Office
PORTSMOUTH, Va.—Armed with disposable gloves, large trash bags and a desire to make a difference, 30 Norfolk District volunteers gave up their Saturday morning June 6, to join thousands of fellow Virginians in removing unhealthy debris from cherished waterways throughout the Commonwealth.
Since 1989, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, along with Virginians of every stripe, has removed tons of trash from local beaches, shorelines and waterways during the region-wide clean-up effort. With the increasing popularity of the annual campaign, last year Clean the Bay Day expanded beyond Hampton Roads to include eastern Virginia, Richmond and northern Virginia.
The district's 30-member eco-friendly team cleaned approximately 5 miles of Craney Island's shoreline, said Keith Lockwood, chief of the Operations Technical Support Section and clean-up organizer.
Among the volunteers were Col. Dionysios Anninos, district commander, and one of his sons, and Lt. Col. Michael Darrow, deputy district commander, along with his three children.
The Craney Island Dredged Material Management Area was authorized by the River and Harbor Act of 1946, and constructed from 1956-1958. The federal facility is operated by the Norfolk District, Army Corps of Engineers and is used by private interests, local municipalities, and federal and Commonwealth of Virginia government agencies for the disposal of dredged material from Norfolk Harbor and its adjacent waterways, including the Elizabeth and Nansemond Rivers.
"The weather was great – in the mid-70s with a nice breeze," said Lockwood. "Our team collected about 2,000 pounds of everyday items like aluminum cans, Styrofoam containers and cups and plastic bottles and bags. We also bagged about 800 pounds of lumber, rope, crab pot floats and miscellaneous construction and fishing debris."
Several unusual items were also found during the clean-up, added Lockwood, including a message in a bottle.