Shore Sweep
Lake Lanier's Largest Shoreline Cleanup
Shore Sweep Returns on Saturday, September 19th 2026!
Join us for Shore Sweep 2026 from 8am to 1pm on Saturday, September 19th! Lake Lanier’s largest annual cleanup brings our community together to remove trash, debris, and abandoned dock floats while helping protect the lake for future generations.
Last year, more than 1,200 volunteers removed a record-breaking 128 tons of trash and debris, including large debris and hundreds of encapsulated dock floats with the help of marine contractors and their barges. Since Shore Sweep began, volunteers have removed more than 2.58 million pounds of trash from Lake Lanier.
Click the button below to register for Shore Sweep 2026! Pre-registration helps ensure a quick check-in and allows the LLA team to distribute supplies appropriately. Registration is required for every participant, whether participating individually, with a family, or as part of a group. Group leaders should complete the group registration, but all group participants must register individually.
Details below are subject to change.
Shore Sweep Sites:
Advance Sites – These unmanned locations located around the lake allow people to drop off trash for the two weeks prior to Shore Sweep. The advance sites allow you to participate in the cleanup on your schedule. Just be sure that you secure all debris high enough where it will not flow back into Lanier. This year, the 2026 Advance Sites open on Tuesday, September 8th!
Day-Of Sites – On the day of Shore Sweep, volunteers can bring trash to one of the sites across Lake Lanier. This is a drop in event, pick up trash on your way to the site for drop off, pick up your supplies first then head out to clean, or do a combination of the two. Come by foot or boat! All sites will be open 8am-1pm for the 2026 Shore Sweep.
Please Note: Shore Sweep 2026 Sites are Subject to Change. Review the site list carefully!
Shady Grove Park-Beach: 34° 12′ 7.7″ N 84° 2′ 9.3998″ W
Four Mile Island: 34° 21894″ N, -84° 01035″ W
Beaver Ruin: 34° 12′ 44.55″ N 84° 3′ 53.6224″ W
Gaines Ferry Island: 34° 11′ 20.5001″ N 83° 59′ 26.3″ W
Beaver Island: 34° 16′ 47.7998″ N 83° 56′ 19.7999″ W
Wahoo Island 2WC: 34° 21′ 49.2001″ N 83° 50′ 29.2999″ W
Nix Bridge Island: 34° 21′ 34.4002″ N 83° 59′ 5.8999″ W
Forsyth County:
- Bald Ridge Marina
- Port Royale Marina
- Shady Grove – Boat Access Only
Dawson County:
- Toto Creek Park
- War Hill Park
Hall County:
- Balus Creek Boat Ramp
- Don Carter State Park
- Gainesville Marina
- Holly Park
- Laurel Park
- Lanier Islands Boat Ramp
- Little River Boat Ramp
- Van Pugh North Boat Ramp – Boat Access Only
Gwinnett County:
- Gwinnett Park – Boat Access Only *OPEN FOR SHORE SWEEP ONLY!*
- Lanier Park – Walker Access Only
Near each of these locations there will be a dock builder’s barge or work-boat for trash and debris collection! Please look for “Shore Sweep On-Lake Support” signage.
- Tidwell Park – Southeastern Dock Supply, Flotilla
- Shoal Creek Campground – Martin Docks, Barge
- Three Sisters Island (beach area, north end) – MSI, Barge
- Beaver Island – Martin Docks, Barge
- Nix Bridge – MSI, Barge
- Little River (2WC) – Boat Dock Works, Barge
- Port Royale Marina – Lighthouse Marine, Flotilla
Day of Shore Sweep only. Subject to change!
While not mandatory, here is a basic list of supplies we found useful to have. There will be limited supplies available at each of the “Day of Shore Sweep” Sites – including trash bags, stakes, etc. This is not a mandatory list, just a list of supplies put together by volunteers of what they found useful to have!
- Gloves
- Trash bags
- Rope (to pull floats from beaches back to drop sites)
- Stakes for floats
- Sledge hammer (for pounding in stakes)
- Tarp to keep your boat clean
Safety first! Please make sure you have life vests, sunscreen and water to stay hydrated. Have a first aid kit in case any scrapes or bumps. Also bug spray is a must. DO NOT WEAR FLIP FLOPS. A good pair of work shoes is highly recommended – remember there is glass on the beaches.
Our annual Shore Sweep event spans the entire lake and averages 140,000 pounds of trash and over 1,000 volunteers annually. But you do not have to wait for this event to help keep our lake clean. Get Involved with cleaning up Lake Lanier’s shorelines anytime of the year – you never know what you will find.
Additionally, if you see an area on the lake that has lots of trash, floats and debris please pin drop the location and report it to LLA.
Types of Trash in and around Lake Lanier
Black Encapsulated Styrofoam Floats
The black floats you see under docks on the lake can come loose and become trash washed up along shorelines and beaches and floating in the lake. Much of what is collected at Shore Sweep are these floats. They are heavy, large and not easy to move or dispose of. During the months leading up to Shore Sweep many of our lake dweller volunteers corral these floats in anticipation of Shore Sweep. We also have people who need additional flotation on their dock who hopefully can find one in the lake that can be recycled for this purpose. The dock builders and repair people are supposed to remove any damaged and unneeded foam from the lake if they repair or replace a dock or flotation.
Trash on Islands and in the Lake
We hope all our 11 million visitors to Lake Lanier clean up during and after being on Lake Lanier and adhere to “leave no trace” practices. Most marinas have dumpsters for their guests to use and no trash should be left on any public lands like islands or parks. If you are out and see trash, please be kind to your lake and pick it up. No one wants to enjoy a beach in a trash heap.
Abandoned Docks and Boats
Another form of trash in Lake Lanier is abandoned docks and boats. LLA has created the Abandoned Dock and Derelict Vessel initiative to address this issue.
Lake Lanier Association was vital in getting a Trash Trap installed on Flat Creek in Gainesville.
The Trash Trap in Flat Creek works hard during rains to stop trash from entering the lake. LLA was instrumental in the traps installation by Hall County and the City of Gainesville.
