Clean Rivers start with you.

Trash travels throughout the Russian River and its creeks to the ocean where it accumulates on beaches and within giant marine gyres. Once in the water, it breaks down into smaller pieces that harm fish and animals that mistake it for food. And it ruins a day on the beach for residents and tourists, and the local businesses that depend on clean water.

Russian Riverkeeper Clean Team organizes public cleanups throughout the Russian River watershed from Hopland in Mendocino County to the mouth of the river at Jenner-by-the-Sea, on numerous Sonoma County beaches, and on tributary creeks throughout the Santa Rosa plain.

We focus on 3 trash hot spots:

1. Help the unhoused population in Sonoma County maintain sanitary camp conditions by offering clean camp outreach with trash bags and gloves as well as weekly trash pickup service.
2. Disaster response to floods, which feel like they are becoming our new normal as the climate warms. Each time the river experiences floods, the influx of trash spikes. For example in 2020 when we had little rain we barely noticed an increase over the winter. In 2023 with the series of atmospheric rivers in January and March dozens of tons of trash was washed from our roads, parking lots and storm drains into our river.
3. Coordinate volunteers to pick up trash and recyclables. Trash cleanups raise awareness about water pollution and create opportunities for the public to make a difference.

On the third Saturday of September, we gather for our annual Russian River Watershed Cleanup. In 2022 we had 383 awesome volunteers cleaning up from Ukiah to Monte Rio who removed just under 20,000 pounds of trash and 52 tires from our river! We’re always aiming to surpass our record year in 2019, when we had a total of 452 volunteers that collectively removed 31,899 lbs of garbage and over 100 tires.

For trash inquiries, contact us at: trash@russianriverkeeper.org.

Clean Team History

In 2016, Chris Brokate founded Clean River Alliance under the fiscal sponsorship of Russian Riverkeeper, and in 2019, it became a part of Russian Riverkeeper as its Clean Team program.