Refreshing Santa Clara County Rivers
More than 500 volunteers with trash pickers in hand scoured 36 miles of Santa Clara County riverbanks on May 21, collecting over 25,000 pounds of trash for National River Cleanup Day.
The annual event, put on locally by Valley Water and Creek Connections Action Group, was first started in 1991 by American Rivers. The event focuses on protecting rivers, watersheds and ecosystems from trash and litter. Since 2007, the local event has resulted in almost 475,000 pounds of trash collected from sites across Santa Clara County. Nationally, 32 million.pounds have been removed from American waterways in the last three decades.
“It was one of the first times in two years, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when we actually had organized group cleanups for National River Cleanup Day,” says Nick Ingram, a representative from Valley Water.
At one cleanup site, Valley Water partnered with Saved by Nature and Opening Doors 2020 to provide hot meals and hygiene kits to the unhoused people in the area.
“Some of the unhoused that were there joined our cleanup efforts,” Ingram says. “They grabbed gloves, trash pickers and a bag and joined the volunteers. Everyone had a great time.”
While the results of these trash cleanups leave rivers looking pristine, they also result in several expected — and unexpected — environmental benefits.
“Once a piece of trash enters a storm drain or stream it may continue downstream and affect many other water bodies (creeks, streams, rivers, lakes, estuaries, bays, ocean…),” according to a fact sheet released by the State Water Resources Control Board.
Cleaning up trash, especially around waterways, can help protect ecosystems that rely on that water source. Debris in rivers and creeks that flow into San Francisco Bay can entangle wildlife, disrupt migration patterns and even release harmful chemicals.
Other Recent Posts
Citizen Methane
Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, leaks from abandoned wells across the country. Curtis Shuck has been finding them by hand, well by well. But finding the leaks is where satellites and citizens come in.
Imprisoned with Climate Change
Climate change has a disproportionate impact on incarcerated Americans. Juan Moreno Haines, one of 2.3 million prisoners in the US, describes his experience.
Artists Circle Confronts Climate Displacement and Just Recovery
The climate crisis in driving the displacement of people around the world. In the midst of the pandemic, an artists circle began developing new approaches to the issue.
Future-Proof Homes?
Oona Khan dreams about her home of the future, after losing her Malibu retreat to fire. Caught in a quagmire of legal battles with Southern California Edison, and surging construction costs, Khan is still waiting to start construction.
The Case for Climate Castles
As climate change throws more extreme events at us, isn’t it time to think bigger, bolder, further ahead? Six young architects draw climate-resilient castles.
Looking for Justice at the Nexus of Housing and Climate Policy
How housing is built and who it is built for are not only equity questions, but also climate mitigation questions. When people can afford to live near their jobs, their emissions from commuting go down.
Bittersweet Beach Outing to See King Tide
On a clear morning in January, a group of tide worshippers gathered at the Santa Monica Pier to “celebrate the ocean and build our climate community,” said Laurene von Klan.
Safer at School from Wildfire Smoke?
Research confirms the drastic impacts wildfire smoke has had on school learning. But 16 East Bay schools now have updated air filters and more actions are in the pipeline statewide.
My Neighborhood Wised Up to Fire
When we fled the house in the Santa Cruz mountains that we had been living in for just nine months, we knew exactly two of our neighbors.
Extremes-in-3D
In Part 1 FIRE, KneeDeep explores where to expect debris flows from burn scars, how one neighborhood became fire wise, and what schools are doing to become safe havens.
Decomposing wastes and plastics also contribute to greenhouse gasses and thus climate change. Experts say disposing of your waste properly, recycling when applicable, and reducing your single use plastic waste can all help reduce the impact on the environment.
“Keeping litter off our streets and public areas will ultimately help keep it out of our waterways, and reduce the trash we need to pick up during these events,” says Ingram.
Tools of the trash pick up trade allow volunteers to keep refuse at arm’s length. Photo: Valley Water.
