It’s that time of year again, time to clean up the Hobolochitto Creek.
Saturday Friends of Boley will hold a cleanup event along the west branch of the creek, beginning at Long Bridge, and ending at Burnt Bridge.
Friends of Boley Acting Director Keith Kingrey said the event is set for Saturday, provided rain forecast for this week does not raise the creeks water level any higher than it already is. Kingrey said that if the rain does not fall in the White Sand community, which is where the West Hobochitto Creek begins, then the level should be safe.
The creek’s current stage is high enough to send people down safely, but if the stage rises any higher, it might increase the speed of the flow, creating a safety issue for the volunteers. When the creek’s flow becomes too fast it creates the potential for people in small watercraft, such as canoes, to become pinned up against a log. Kingrey said the level and flow of the creek will be assessed Friday, to see if the event needs to be rescheduled. But, if everything looks safe, the cleanup will proceed as planned.
Anyone interested in volunteering can register at Long Bridge starting at 7 a.m. Boats will be put in the water at 8 a.m. Kingrey said he predicts all 20 of the canoes they rented for the event may be spoken for, so anyone who would like to volunteer but does not have a canoe or kayak of their own should register as close to 7 a.m. as possible to ensure they get a canoe.
At some point during the week members of the group will take a trip down the creek to see if they can create a navigable path for voluneteers. Kingrey said the logjam that keeps respawning just north of Burnt Bridge is there again. Attempts will be made to cut a path through it, but if that can’t be accomplished there will be people at that location who will help volunteers pull their boats over the jam.
The Civic Women’s Club will be serving breakfast that morning and there will be water and Powerade on hand for volunteers to take with them as they clean debris from the creek. Garbage bags and grabbers will also be provided. Lunch will be provided by Mississippi Power and T-shirts will be given to volunteers. The shirts were funded by Mississippi Power and Coast Electric, Kingrey said.
A van has been provided by First United Methodist Church and the city of Picayune is donating the use of a roll off dumpster.
As a safety measure, firefighters, and other emergency personnel will be on-hand at the event.