It was another great year for the 38th annual Russian River Watershed Cleanup! On September 21, 2024, 420 enthusiastic volunteers came together at 20 individual cleanups occurring across Sonoma County to help remove debris and trash before the winter rains could send it downstream. This event, held in honor of California Coastal Cleanup Day, continued in its legacy in fostering environmental stewardship and protecting our community’s most vital and treasured resource, the Russian River.
Volunteers were able to choose various segments of the river to focus on, including both heavily trafficked areas and remote stretches. Equipped with gloves, trash bags, and tools, teams collected litter along riverbanks, trails, and even throughout city streets of Santa Rosa and Windsor. Debris included plastic waste, glass, aluminum cans, food wrappers, abandoned furniture, discarded fishing gear, thousands of cigarette butts, rusted metal items and many large tires. This year’s cleanup focused not only on removing waste but also on educating participants and school groups about the harmful effects of pollution on aquatic ecosystems.
Plastic waste and other contaminants break down into microplastics for example, which can devastate fish populations and other wildlife, harm water quality, and even make their way into the human food chain. This was a reminder of the persistent threats that human activities pose to natural environments.
This weekend we continue our effort with the help of Mendocino Resource Conservation District to continue work on the upper Russian River. With 12 more cleanups scheduled, we are anticipating our total weight from this effort to exceed 3 tons!
The success of the cleanup is all thanks to YOU and partnerships with local businesses, government agencies, and our sponsors that made it all possible. We can’t wait to see you again throughout the year at our regular cleanups and next year for another great annual celebration!
Thank you to our sponsors!
