Thursday, 09 November 2006 23:36

Mokelumne River Clean Up

slide15On Saturday, November 4, dedicated volunteers worked along the banks of the Mokelumne River removing truckloads of trash and debris in the annual Mokelumne River Cleanup. Kayakers, four-wheel club members, river conservation and watershed advocates, trail builders, East Bay MUD employees, and interested citizens worked side-by-side to beautify the river. ACES Waste and Recycling volunteered dumpsters while Starbucks supplied plenty of strong coffee for volunteers. With the aid of caffeine and dumpsters; volunteers picked up everything from cigarette butts and household trash to box spring mattresses.

slide17The cleanup was cosponsored by the Foothill Conservancy, Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail Council, and East Bay Municipal Utility District. Altogether the volunteers picked up about 500 pounds of trash and recyclable items.  Teams worked at the Highway 26 crossings of the North and Middle Fork Mokelumne, along Electra Road, and near the Middle Bar Bridge. Participants were primarily from Amador and Calaveras Counties, although some came from the Central Valley and Tuolumne County. Organized groups were represented by members of the Mokelumne Trailbusters, Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail Council, Foothill Conservancy, and the Upper Mokelumne Watershed Council. The Foothill Conservancy has sponsored Mokelumne River Cleanups since 1992, removing more than three tons of trash and debris form the area around the river. Watch for information on next fall’s cleanup on the Foothill Conservancy website by visiting www.foothillconservancy.org.

 

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