Extra Credit - Cleanup the American River

Saturday morning, at a quarter to 8, I arrived at the North Fork of the American River in Auburn, down that windy valley off of Highway 49. There were already maybe some 50 people gathered, and despite the chill everyone was smiling and active. I didn't want to just stand around and do nothing, so I offered to help finish setting up the volunteer booth and all the handouts they were, well, handing out, to people. After about maybe 30 min everyone was instructed to grab a trash-picker-upper-thingy and a couple bags and proceed under the bridge.

After a bit of a lengthly safety meeting and upcoming announcements chat we were OFF! Racing through the canyon at top speed, our trash-grabbers flailing about with lightning refle... oh, wait, nevermind... I forgot, my trash collecting began with grabbing dozens of cigarette butts lying beneath our very feet! They were everywhere. Some pushed into the earth, some hidden under rocks, and some just lying about. I even found a fully wrapped cigar! By and large these little scraps of garbage were the most numerous all up and down the river. More so than bottles, cans, or plastic bags.

But the most surprising finds were the biggest ones. We found shopping carts, wooden pallets, tires and bicycle parts, but we actually found the remains of an old car, too. Heavily rusted, mostly buried, and scattered over several hundred square yards was the frame, gas tank, roll cage, center console, steering wheel, ashtray, and 8-track tape player of some unknown make and model. We had to shovel out the frame, roll-cage, and gas tank, and it took three of us to carry the dang things over to where the Park Service could pick it up with their trucks. It became almost like our trophy for the day, sitting there drying in the sun for all to see.

I actually ended up staying until noon. They served us lunch and handed out little freebies for showing up. I got a water bottle, a loaf of bread, a t-shirt, a hat, and a fancy certificate saying I performed 4 hours of community service. The whole day actually turned out to be pretty fun.

But driving away I remembered something someone had told me earlier that day. This cleanup is performed twice a year: during spring and fall. Despite everything we picked up Saturday, the spring cleanup is usually easier than the fall. Summer is when swimmers bring their picnic lunches and leave behind cans, bottles, and wrappers. And cars, apparently. If it only took us 4 hours to pick up everything this time, and the river was cleaned up just 6 months ago, how much more garbage would be left 6 months from now?

It's kind of depressing, really. And there were plenty of signs citing the $1000 littering fine. I asked if garbage cans could be brought down to the river and chained up. At least then some of the larger litter would be disposed of. But the answer was kind of sobering: there just isn't any money for it. You need to pay someone to empty the cans, and you need to pay for the cans in the first place. Even if it was in the makes, the river doesn't stay at the same level all throughout the year. The last thing you want is a trash can carried off by the water, or its contents flushed away.

And that's why you have what we had Saturday. It was good to see so many people there for a good cause. I'll probably make a note in my planner to attend again later in the year. You all should, too =)