That pretty much sums up the Lake Lanier Association’s annual Shore Sweep lake cleanup, which took place Sept. 29. The event drew more than 1,300 volunteers and hauled in a whopping 42 tons of trash and Styrofoam.

Vicki Barnhorst, executive director of the association, said North Georgia’s drought was partially responsible for Shore Sweep’s success.

"The low lake level made a huge difference," she said. "People were able to pick up trash that they haven’t been able to get to in several years."

Barnhorst also credits one county that went above and beyond.

"Dawson County really put a lot of effort into it," she said. "They’re a small county and only have about 40 miles of shoreline, but they recruited about 250 volunteers. They were so organized, they had Scout groups go out in advance to see where the most trash was."

As a result, she said, the Dawson contingent collected 16 tons of garbage, including 180 blocks of Styrofoam.

The Sept. 29 event was the lake association’s second cleanup this year. In observance of Lanier’s 50th anniversary, a "mini Shore Sweep" was held in April, yielding 8 tons of trash with just 300 volunteers.