U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Allatoona Lake Project, National Public Lands Day: Helping Hands for America ’s Lands, Rivers Alive, The National Park Foundation Partnership, and others.

The Great Allatoona Lake Cleanup is recognized as one of the oldest conservation cleanup's in the United States and is the largest National Public Lands Day event in the nation. Partnerships with National Public Lands Day and Rivers Alive have brought in much needed publicity through their contributions of t-shirts and posters and promotion from their websites. Generous donations from The National Park Foundation provides for the volunteers on the busy day.  Just over the last six years, 26,289 volunteers have collected nearly 15,000 bags of trash equaling over 62 tons of garbage and debris. Despite increased visitation and development, the amount of trash found around Allatoona Lake has drastically been reduced from over 30 tons collected in 1986 to just under two tons in 2004 and 12 tons in 2003.

The Great Allatoona Cleanup has won five national Take Pride in America Awards as well as two Certificate of Environmental Achievement Awards from Renew America in 1996 and 1997. The 2004 edition was awarded for excellence in a litter prevention program by the “Keep Bartow Beautiful” organization. Earlier recycling programs created from the Cleanup also garnered awards by the Cobb County “Cobb Clean Commission” and the Cherokee County “Keep Cherokee Clean” programs. As well, two local associations, The Allatoona Marina Association and The Allatoona Lake Association, are direct spin-off’s of the Cleanup and the partnerships efforts. The success of the Cleanup over the years has prompted many organizations to begin cleanup efforts in their area. Further, through the partnership with Rivers Alive, the Allatoona Lake Project provides its resources every year in an effort to cleanup the Coosa Watershed and tributaries of the Etowah River, which was a result of the continued success story of the original Great Allatoona Lake Cleanup and its partners. The 2005 Great Allatoona Lake Cleanup is scheduled for September 24, 2005.