Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) hosted a news conference today at The Water Institute in Baton Rouge to officially launch Love Our Waterways, Louisiana’s first statewide waterway litter cleanup effort happening during the entire month of September. Inspired by the record-breaking success of Love the Boot Week, Love Our Waterways encourages volunteers, businesses, schools, civic organizations, and community groups to help remove litter and debris from Louisiana’s rivers, lakes, bayous, beaches, and shorelines.
Joined by representatives from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and The Water Institute, Lt. Governor Nungesser called on all Louisianans in every parish to pitch in and volunteer this September.
“We’ve seen firsthand through Love the Boot Week that when Louisianans are asked to step up, they answer the call. Already, 25 groups have registered for Love Our Waterways cleanups, and I want to thank those early participants for leading the way. Now we’re asking even more citizens, civic groups, schools, and businesses to keep this momentum going and get involved,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “Litter doesn’t disappear when it reaches the water. It threatens wildlife, harms fisheries, affects recreation, clogs drainage systems, and eventually makes its way into the Gulf. Every piece of litter removed from our waterways improves water quality and preserves the natural beauty that makes Louisiana Sportsman’s Paradise. Together, we can clean up our waterways and protect these treasures for future generations.”
“We know that 80% of marine litter starts on land. Litter blows into our waterways, causing pollution and killing fish and wildlife. It’s time to prioritize our waterways and ensure that our rivers, lakes, and bayous are clean and beautiful for future generations,” said KLB Executive Director Susan Russell.
September is globally recognized as Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup Month, and World Cleanup Day will take place on September 20, 2026. Love Our Waterways will serve as a registered effort supporting both initiatives.
Ways to get involved in Love Our Waterways:
- Clean up shorelines.
- Clean out drains and ditches.
- Clean up by paddle or motorized boat.
- Promote on social media.
- Educate youth about litter.
- Donate to amplify the impact.
At LoveLaWaterways.org people can register their cleanup event or find a local volunteer opportunity. Keep Louisiana Beautiful will provide supply boxes for the first 200 groups to register. Also available on the website is a marketing toolkit to help promote the initiative, featuring press release templates, social media graphics, digital ads, and other assets.
Volunteers will track what litter is being picked up and what items were left behind, like derelict crab traps, abandoned vessels, and large items. This data will be shared with other agencies for later removal.
Following the news conference, volunteers gathered along the bank of the Mississippi River outside The Water Institute for shoreline litter cleanup as part of River Days of Action. Volunteers picking up litter represented Keep Louisiana Beautiful, the Office of the Lt. Governor, The Water Institute, LSU Coastal Ecosystem Design Studio, Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Stantec, FUEL Louisiana (Future Use of Energy in Louisiana), ProofWorks, Baton Rouge Green, and Clean Pelican.
“In Louisiana, the Mississippi River and our waterways are dynamic systems that shape our communities, our ecosystems, our economy, and our way of life,” said Beaux Jones, President and CEO of The Water Institute. “Efforts like Love Our Waterways and River Days of Action remind us that everyone has a role to play in keeping our waterways healthy, clean, and resilient for generations to come.”
The impact of Love Our Waterways is amplified by the support of these sponsors: Dow Chemical, Airboat Adventures, Pinnacle Polymers, Roy O. Martin, Crescent River Port Pilots’ Association, Port of Krotz Springs, Cleco, Five-S Group, The Kearny Companies, Port Nola, Premier Plaza, and South Tangipahoa Parish Port Commission. In-kind donors include Hospitality Enterprise and Pigeon Catering. The Keep Louisiana Beautiful Foundation is still accepting sponsorships for Love Our Waterways. Find out how to support this initiative at LoveLaWaterways.org.