Submitted by Mendocino Land Trust

On Saturday, Sept. 20, 450 volunteers gathered at thirty cleanup locations to remove trash and recyclables from Mendocino County beaches, rivers and creeks as part of the 30th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. Volunteers covered over 76 miles of beaches, rivers and creeks, removing 5,300 pounds of trash and over 3,000 cigarette butts. This year's Coastal Cleanup saw an increased number of participants with almost 100 more volunteers than last year.

The state-wide effort brought over 54,000 Californians out to the beaches to clean up over half a million pounds of debris, about 343 tons, which is the weight of 45 elephants.

As always, the success of Coastal Cleanup Day relies on the efforts and enthusiasm of our local communities, service groups, nonprofits, businesses, organizations, and individuals. The Mendocino Land Trust, which has coordinated Coastal Cleanup Day in Mendocino County since 2002, expresses its appreciation to all of the volunteers and Site Captains. Together, the efforts of our communities have helped to protect our rivers, creeks, and coastal environment, removing trash that would have washed into the ocean with the arrival of winter rains.

Past Coastal Cleanup Day data tell us that between 60 to 80 percent of the debris on our beaches and shorelines comes from inland sources, washed down storm drains or creeks, out to the beaches and ocean. The California Coastal Commission asks all Californians to take responsibility for ensuring that trash goes where it belongs securely into a trash can, recycling bin or a hazardous waste dump when appropriate.

The biggest offenders this year were cigarette butts and dog waste. Both of these items are highly toxic and should always be disposed of properly.

While the traditional coastal focus for Coastal Cleanup Day helps to project the marine environment, the event also provides an opportunity to care for inland rivers, creeks and lakes. The large amount of trash found at inland creek cleanups in Willits demonstrated the importance of cleaning our creeks and rivers as streams are too often used as dump sites, harming both local and downstream environments.

This year, 50 volunteers in Willits removed almost 3,000 pounds of garbage from Baechtel and Broadus creeks, home to one of the longest Coho salmon runs in California.

Trash removed from Coastal Cleanup Day sites ranges from typical small trash found on beaches to larger debris, such as car parts or appliances, found at dump sites in creeks. Volunteers from Liquid Fusion Kayaking and the Lost Coast Chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association removed another 500 pounds of trash from sites accessed by boat.

Mendocino Land Trust's coordination efforts were supported by a grant from the California Coastal Commission, which manages the statewide event, and a donation from the Mendocino Solid Waste Management Authority.

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Volunteers remove over 5,300 pounds of trash in Mendocino County