The National River Cleanup Day scheduled in May is canceled due to the current public health crisis, but we can still do our part in protecting our waterways and the environment. Join Valley Water’s team of over 50 Adopt-A-Creek partners who steward sections of the 275 miles of creek owned by Valley Water in Santa Clara County. They monitor trash in their adopted creek segments and commit to at least two cleanups a year. One of our Adopt-A-Creek partners collected 2,000 pounds of trash from one mile of the Guadalupe River in three hours! It’s a great opportunity to bring together like-minded individuals who share a passion for protecting the environment, getting outdoors, and collectively helping to protect our riparian ecosystems.
Valley Water has coordinated the National River Cleanup Day and Coastal Cleanup Day for many years through the Creek Connections Action Group (CCAG), a consortium of public agencies and non-profit organizations that share a goal of protecting Santa Clara County’s waterways. These cleanup events have played an essential role for Valley Water and our partner agencies in protecting waterways and saving local public agencies millions of dollars. Take a look at the impact we have made over the span of 13 years with our volunteer creek cleanup efforts here.
Unusual finds such as shopping carts, toilets, mattresses, couches, scooters, and automated teller machines contributed to the thousands of pounds collected in the 2019 National River Cleanup Day. Through the efforts of 1,070 outstanding volunteers, over 46,600 pounds of trash (roughly 44 pounds per person) was collected. The cleanup efforts covered over 62 miles of creeks and rivers across 47 sites throughout Santa Clara County.
Our partners and volunteers help to support Valley Water’s commitment to protecting our environment and working to restore habitat along creeks and the bay, clean toxins from the water, and make sure water is used efficiently throughout our community.
Are you interested in adopting a creek? Our Adopt-A-Creek program has few requirements, and cleanup supplies are provided free of charge! Apply to adopt a creek near you and have it ready when you plan cleanups in the future; applications are available at https://www.valleywater.org/learning-center/adopt-a-creek. If you’d like to learn more, visit cleanacreek.org or email volunteer@valleywater.org with any questions.
Chances are you live near one of the 132 creeks that run through five major watersheds in Santa Clara County. There is ample opportunity to be a part of keeping our waterways healthy and beautiful!
Valley Water News 