(STOCKTON, CA) - Over 300 volunteers took part during the annual Coastal Cleanup Day in San Joaquin County this past Saturday. This year's cleanup activities took place at American Legion Park, Buckley Cove, Calaveras River and Lodi Lake.

The California Coastal Cleanup event is a major part of International Coastal Cleanup, which is facilitated by the Ocean Conservancy and includes the participation of many U.S. states and territories, as well as over 70 countries. San Joaquin County has participated in this event annually, since 1999, except during 2020, when the event was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic.

“Coastal Cleanup Day brings us together as a community to protect our precious water resources and keep trash from polluting our creeks and rivers,” said San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors Chair, Chuck Winn. “We are inspired to see how many people in San Joaquin County care about their community and are willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to take care of our local waterways and the environment.”

In total, the following amount of trash and recyclables were collected in just three hours:

• Number of Volunteers - 320
• Estimated Weight of Garbage Collected -  5,141 lb.
• Estimated Weight of Recyclables Collected -  250 lb.
• Total Miles Cleared - 33
• Bags Used - 429

“Community cleanups are one of the best ways for the public to help prevent harmful materials from entering the waterways that we rely on for things like drinking water, agriculture and recreational purposes,” said San Joaquin County Public Works Director, Fritz Buchman. “These efforts are really making a long-term difference year over year. It's impressive to see the transformation of these areas and we want to thank all of the volunteers who make a difference in their community.”

For more information about how people can volunteer to help in next year's “Coastal Cleanup Day, contact San Joaquin County Public Works - Water Resources at 209-468-3089 or www.sjwater.org or the California Coastal Commission at www.coastal.ca.gov.

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