BTNEP asks citizens to help clean Bayou Lafourche

With inclement weather disrupting its bayou cleanup, a local environmental group is asking citizens to step up on their own.

The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program canceled its March 12 Bayou Lafourche Cleanup because of the threat of heavy showers and will not reschedule it. The event was set to clean 106 miles of the bayou, from Donaldsonville to Leeville.

However, BTNEP is still asking volunteers and landowners to clean the bayou on their own. BTNEP spokeswoman Kristy Monier said volunteers who registered to cleanup can still pick up their shirts and data cards, used to register what they find in the bayou, from their site captains.

BTNEP is also asking those living along Bayou Lafourche to assist in the cleanup. The effort is part of beautifying the bayou before BTNEP’s annual Paddle Bayou Lafourche, which is set for Thursday through Sunday. •