About Catawba Riversweep
The Catawba Riversweep is a community cleanup event of the Catawba-Wateree River Basin. A collective effort of dozens of non-profit, governmental, and for profit organizations from 26 counties across North and South Carolina, the Catawba Riversweep is an example of the power of collaboration and cooperation.
This unique community engagement event is organized and led by the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization based in Charlotte, NC that was founded in 1997 and is dedicated to the preservation and protection of the waters of the Catawba-Wateree River for those who enjoy and depend on her.
Beginning in 2002, a dedicated and passionate group of volunteers on Lake Wylie started the Lake Wylie Riversweep and thus began the “Riversweep Tradition” on the Catawba River. Since then, dozens of other groups have continued their tradition with their own local riversweeps in their communities. In 2020, all of these groups began coming together on the same day with the same purpose: clean up trash and debris from our river, lakes, creeks, and streams. In 2024, we expect more than 1,200 volunteers to clean up tens of thousands of pounds of trash from 50+ sites across the Catawba-Wateree River Basin.