Volunteers will get down and dirty at the annual Great American River Cleanup on Saturday, Sept. 17. From the parking lot to the riverbanks to the riverbed, people will donate their time to collect thousands of pounds of trash along the parkway.

Volunteers can choose from 20 sites that the American River Parkway Foundation (ARPF) has designated for the annual cleanup, from Discovery Park to Paradise Beach.

The cleanup, scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon, is set to clear out garbage from the parkway areas as well as debris in the river that allows pollutants to enter the watershed and harm wildlife.

“It’s a full-fledged, shoulder-to-shoulder effort,” said Stacy Springer, volunteer manager and site coordinator. “This is one of two large annual cleanups and is an event that people mark on their calendars.”

Springer said that groups go out every month and do an annual cleanup in the winter months, but that the summer cleanup is more productive because the water levels of the river are a lot lower, making the garbage more accessible.

She added that the end of summer is also the best time because summer recreation users have gone and facilities are now closed.

Volunteers will go directly to the site they registered for and will be briefed on the cleanup area and procedure. Springer said that most volunteers will stick to cleaning on land, and that the dive, kayak and canoe crews are certified and many of them have been doing this for as long as 15 years.

The ARPF will provide garbage bags, gloves, water, snacks and T-shirts for every volunteer registered. Springer added that if folks have bring their own garden gloves or water bottles, that will cut down on waste.

Springer said that a variety of people volunteer. She said she has seen families, college students, corporate representatives, scout groups and church groups.

“There are just as many volunteers registered for this year as there were last year,” Springer said. “Certain site locations had to have closed registration over the past two years, and we had to cap the number at 300.”

“Discovery Park is one of the most accessible areas,” said Discovery Park Site Host Jef Springer. “It’s close to downtown, and the site was full last year.”

Spencer, who has been a cleanup volunteer for six years and a site host for three, said that
volunteers at the Discovery Park site cleaned up about 1,000 pounds of trash last year.

“You’re always going to have cans and bottles and food wrappers,” Spencer said. “The number increases in summer after all of the activities.

“(The cleanup) is extremely easy to do, and the level of participation is up to (the volunteer),” Spencer added. “If they want to stay on the paved area or in the brush, they can. Everyone can do this. We welcome everybody.”

Spencer said he had kids work on the bike trails and parking lots because those are safer areas to clean up. He said adults go into the brush that could have broken bottles and drug paraphernalia.

Spencer added that it amazes him to see what is brought up from the riverbed.

“We had a group of kayakers who came in and cleaned,” Spencer said. “They pulled up toilet seats, shoes, even full-sized garbage cans.”

Springer said the No. 1 single type of debris is cigarette butts, followed by aluminum cans and bottles on the river bottom, all of which get into the watershed.

“Volunteers pulled up 15,000 pounds of debris last year,” Springer said. “That is a conservative number.”

Springer added that the quantity is for registered debris. She said people go out and help, but sometimes don’t register what they clean up.

“It’s definitely a catch-22,” Springer said. “Some of the sites are more susceptible to debris. They are the ones that are the most family-friendly, but they are also the ones with more trash for just that reason. There are also the homeless encampments that add to the level of debris.”

Last year, the ARPF had over 2,000 volunteers at the cleanup.

“I hope for the same number of people or more this year,” Spencer said. “It is good to see (people) come help. The river is the jewel of the area – such a long stretch of beauty in a metropolitan area.”

Started in 1983, the ARPF preserves and protects the American River Parkway, a 23-mile-long part of the American River, and Springer said as many as 8 million people enjoy the parkway each year.

“What we don’t take care of here eventually comes back as someone else’s problem,” Springer said. “There are long-term benefits, it just depends on how far out you look.”

To learn more about the American River Cleanup or to register for the event, click here.