Tommy Vincent, left, (EMFLT president), Curt Skipper, middle, (EMFLT Board member), and Lynford Siebel collect trash at Point Landing.

    The Chunky River may be the top scenic river in East Central Mississippi.

    Canoe enthusiasts, fishermen and nature lovers gravitate to the river that is formed between the towns of Hickory and Chunky in southwestern Newton County by the confluence of Chunky Creek and Okahatta Creek.

    But of course whenever you have people, you have trash.

    The East Mississippi Foothills Land Trust (EMFLT) sponsored their bi-annual Chunky River Cleanup recently in order to combat the trash that accumulates along the banks where shade trees droop over the clear water. The volunteers, including the Dusty Social Service Club, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Mississippi Power, United States Geological Survey (USGS), East Central Community College, and ECCC Environmental Club, canoed the Chunky River picking up litter along the riverbed, in the water, and at the landings. Brianna Adkins of the EMFLT said in the 95 degree heat and with the river being low, more than 600 pounds of trash was collected.

    “One of the primary goals was to show the volunteers how quickly trash accumulates,” said Adkins. “These young people now have a new understanding of the effects of littering. It is EMFLT’s hope that they become a crusader among their peer groups to help promote a cleaner environment.”

    Adkins said the secondary goal was to pick up the litter in the waterway that was placed there through the irresponsible use of the river.

    After the cleanup, Boyette’s Fish Camp provided a delicious lunch for the volunteers.

    “The event was a huge success,” Adkins said.

    The Chunky River is a short tributary of the Chickasawhay River in East Central Mississippi. Via the Chickasawhay, it is part of the watershed of the Pascagoula River, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

    It flows generally southeastwardly through southwestern Lauderdale County and northwestern Clarke County, where it joins Okatibbee Creek to form the Chickasawhay River near the town of Enterprise.

    Dunns Falls Water Park is a state park located along the river north of Enterprise.

    Tommy Vincent, president of the East Mississippi Foothills Land Trust, said: “We want to conserve and protect the rivers we love, so that our grandchildren’s grandchildren will be able to love and enjoy them as much as we do.”

    Vincent said the key to successful preservation is working with landowners to preserve the streamside habitat, diverse wildlife, and quality of the waterways.      “Most of the access points to the Chunky River are on private land,” said Vincent. “It is only through generosity of the land owners that we are allowed to use them.”

    The East Mississippi Foothills Land Trust is a non-profit, conservation organization that conserves, promotes, and protects the open spaces and green places of ecological, cultural, or scenic significance in East Mississippi. EMFLT is taking steps to preserve Mississippi resources for future generations. For more information about the East Mississippi Foothills Land Trust, please visit www.emflt.org or e-mail emf.landtrust@yahoo.com.

    “It should be mentioned we received a great deal of support from the community,” Vincent said. “Thanks again to all our sponsors: Best Buy, Chunky River Canoe Rental, Embellish, Harry Mayer, Keep America Beautiful, The Liberty Shop, Loeb’s, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Mississippi Power, Popeyes, and Wal-Mart.” 

    Vincent said all of the recreational users of the Chunky River and protectors of our natural resources owe these sponsors a big, “Thank You.”