Attention Russian River Watershed Stewards!
Throughout the United States, the week starting on the third Monday of September is recognized as National Pollution Prevention Week. In much of California, including the Russian River watershed, cities, counties, and other stewardship organizations are recognizing the fourth week of September as Creek Week.
During Creek Week, creek, river, and ocean clean-up campaigns will take place throughout Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. The Russian River watershed consists of over 150 creeks that provide water supply, wildlife habitat, flood capacity, and recreation. Unfortunately, trash and debris accumulation in local waterways impair water quality, wildlife habitat, and, at times, recreation and flood capacity.
Creek Week is a great opportunity to take part in activities that connect you with your community and environmental practices that help protect our creeks!
You can contribute to the health of the Russian River ecosystem by participating in creek and river cleanup events throughout the watershed!
Russian River Watershed Creek Week Clean-Up Events and Activities 2020
The Board of Directors of the Russian River Watershed Association proclaims that September 21-28, 2020 is Pollution Prevention Week and September 21-28, 2020 is Creek Week in the Russian River watershed.
Please note: The following information is correct to the best of RRWA’s knowledge; please contact the appropriate hosting agency or organization to confirm meeting times, locations, and to sign up. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic and recent wildfires will affect some events. Please check with the hosting agency or organization regularly. Any updates will be posted to this website as soon as they are received.
The California Coastal Commission has put together an English and Spanish resource on how to participate in Creek Week activities during COVID-19. The Guidance for Neighborhood Cleanups document can be viewed by clicking here.
INDEPENDENT CLEANUPS
Cleanups will take place throughout the Russian River Watershed in September
Sign-up: Join Russian Riverkeeper to clean up the Russian River Watershed during the month of September! Choose your own independent date and cleanup location using this event page.
Details: Please use the “select a date” button to signup.PLEASE NOTE: A copy of your Cleanup & Covid Liability Waiver MUST be on file prior to joining the cleanups.
Make sure you share a picture of what you find on social media and tag Russian Riverkeeper at:
- #russianriverkeepercleanteam
- facebook.com/russianriverkeepercleanteam
- instagram.com/rriverkeeper
If you have questions about Russian Riverkeeper’s September cleanups, please contact: Ariel Majorana, Development and Events Coordinator: ariel@russianriverkeeper.org, (707) 684-9462
COASTWALK’S COASTAL CLEANUP CREW 2020 PROGRAM
All year starting in September 2020
Sign-Up: Registration open now at https://coastwalk.org/coastwalk-cleanup-crew-registration-info
Details: Interested volunteers need to register with Coastwalk to receive instructions on how to get cleanup kits (contactless pickup at designated times), printed and digital instructions on coastal and Covid-19 safety, Coastal Cleanup T-shirt while supplies last, and learn how to use the CleanSwell app to upload their data on types of debris found. Learn more about and participate in this exciting new Coastwalk beach cleanup program at https://coastwalk.org/2020-coastal-cleanup
COASTAL COMMISSION’S “PROTECT YOUR HAPPY PLACE” CCD 2020 CAMPAIGN
Every Saturday in September. If Saturdays don’t work for you, don’t let that stop you! You can clean up any day, any time.
Details: Report your cleanup by recording data on the CleanSwell app or by completing this form. (You can also use that form to enter the Most Unusual Item Contest.) All cleanups in September will be included as part of Coastal Cleanup Month www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/ccd.html#
Youth ages 10 – 18 can enter our Youth Trash Pick-up Challenge and win prizes for helping to clean our watershed! Check out the details and how to enter on our website.
LAGUNA ACTS: YOUTH TRASH PICK-UP CHALLENGE
Challenge runs from September 1 – 30, 2020
For ages 10-18.
Sign-Up: For details on how to enter and prizes available, visit the Laguna Events website
Detail: Laguna ACTS (Action through Conservation, Training, and Stewardship) programs engage high school youth in our local environment through habitat conservation and stewardship service projects in the Laguna de Santa Rosa watershed. Pick up trash on your local creek and WIN! We are looking for youth ages 10-18 to join our trash pick-up challenge and help us clean up our watershed. You can collect trash in socially distanced pods, on your own, or with your family; you may be able to get community service hours for participating as well!
COMMUNITY OF GEYSERVILLE
Saturday, September 19 (tentative)
Sign-Up: Email Adriane Garayalde at garayalde@snowcrest.net
Details: Russian River cleanup by invitation only.
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
September 19 – 26
Join in the Creek Week festivities in your local neighborhood and from the comfort of home with fun and engaging activities.
- Household-led Neighborhood Creek Clean-ups
- Online Cleanup Competition
- Virtual Santa Rosa Creek Tour
- Printable Kids Scavenger Hunt
- Creek Week Webinar
- Downloadable Santa Rosa Creek Trails Map
- And much more!
Keeping our local creeks clean and safe requires everyone’s help. Remember, healthy creeks start at home. Check https://srcity.org/2290/Creek-Week-2020 for detailed information on all of the Creek Week activities around Santa Rosa. You won’t want to miss out on the fun!
TOWN OF WINDSOR
September 21-26
Time: anytime
Sign-Up: Visit the Public Works Department at 8400 Windsor Road, Windsor, at the south parking lot, and look for a box and pick up one or more bright orange garbage bags any day between September 21-26, and then spend a few hours cleaning an area you are comfortable in. When you are done, email the stormwater coordinator (stormwater@townofwindsor.com) with the location of the corner you will leave the trash bags, so our Public Works Department staff can pick up the bags and dispose of them.
Details: Hosted by the Town of Windsor Storm Water Quality Program, this social distancing creek clean up event, aims to draw Windsorites outdoors Saturday, September 26 to clean up the streets or creek near your house or business. Click here to view the event flyer.
Some rules:
- Use proper personal protection: use gloves, wear good thick-soled shoes, use a trash picker if you have one, and wear your mask
- No group larger than 10 people
- Do not pick up any tires, needles or filled bottles
- Stay out of traffic
- Please obey all requirements in the Sonoma County Public Health Emergency Isolation Order for COVID -19
- Masks are required if you can’t safely stay at least 6-feet apart from those not in your household, and
- Please stay within the Town Limits
CITY OF COTATI AND DAILY ACTS HOSTING FREE SCAVENGER HUNT AND LIVE INTERACTIVE WEBINAR FOR KIDS EVENT
Thursday, September 24
Time: 3pm-4:30pm
Sign-Up: https://dailyacts.org/events-cal/creek-week-2020
Details: Daily Acts invites you to go on your own Creek-Week Scavenger Hunt Clean-up, and share pictures of what you found and where you found it.
Then, on September 24, gather with us online in this webinar for kids, for a show-and-tell of our collective findings, and learn about ways we can improve our watershed health!During this webinar we will learn about our local watershed, defining features of a healthy creek, and ways your family can prevent trash from entering our watershed. There will even be an interactive guessing game activity for kids to learn about how to sort common trash, recycling, and compost items properly! A map will be shown displaying where individual trash clean-ups took place. Show-and-tell will include photos submitted before the webinar. We will wrap up with a reflection of patterns we noticed in our trash clean-ups, and ways we can all reduce storm water pollution in our day-to-day lives.
How to participate:
- Register for the event to receive your scavenger hunt list and instructions
- Complete your neighborhood or creek clean-up and take photos of the most interesting things you found. Submit your scavenger hunt, observations, and photos by 5:00 pm on September 23
- Attend the webinar on September 24 from 3pm – 4:30pm to learn about what we collectively found
UKIAH VALLEY COMMUNITY AND CREEK CLEANUP 2020
Saturday, September 26
Time: 9am-2pm
Sign-Up: Everyone must pre-register for the event at www.surveymonkey.com/r/QNP95FB. Walk-ins will be turned away. Volunteers must pre-register by September 24 to receive cleanup supplies and a location to clean. Clean as individuals or in established COVID bubbles only. Each bubble will be assigned a time to pick up supplies on September 26, a location to go to, and a place to leave your trash bag for later pick-up.
Details: COVID has created more litter than ever! Help us clean the Upper Russian River, its tributaries and dry land areas to keep trash out of the waterways. We will be cleaning as individuals or in established COVID bubbles only. If you have a specific place you’d like to clean or just want to do your own neighborhood, please indicate that on your registration. All participants must agree to watch a pre-recorded safety video, work only with those within your pre-existing COVID bubble and wear a mask and gloves at all times during the cleanup. The event is co-sponsored by the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District, Mendocino County Water Agency, MendoRecycle, and the City of Ukiah Public Works. To register, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QNP95FB.
RUSSIAN RIVERKEEP: HEALDSBURG, GUERNEVILLE, STEELHEAD BEACH, AND MARK WEST CREEK
Saturday, September 26
Time: 9:00 am-11:00 am
Sign-Up: Click the link to sign up
- HEALDSBURG, Memorial Beach
- GUERNEVILLE, Johnson’s Beach
- STEELHEAD BEACH, Forestville
- MARK WEST CREEK, Santa Rosa
Details: This year’s Russian River Watershed Cleanup will incorporate CDC guidelines in order to create a safe experience for all! There are several scheduled cleanups in September on weekends rotating throughout the watershed as well as an option to set up your own independent cleanup at your convenience. Supplies and additional waivers will be provided as needed at predetermined locations for pickup and drop-off. A special surprise for each of our volunteers as a thank you for your ongoing stewardship and commitment is being offered!PLEASE NOTE: A copy of your Cleanup & Covid Liability Waiver MUST be on file prior to joining the cleanups.
Send waiver to info@russianriverkeeper.org
Best Management Practices for Handling Sharps
During Cleanup Events
RRWA is pleased to provide the following sharps guidance flyers for cleanup organizers and volunteers. The guidance was compiled from numerous local state and national organizations and reviewed and collectively polished by our regional partners.
For additional information about sharps, visit
ZeroWasteSonoma.gov/materials/sharps-needle or SafeNeedleDisposal.org
Creek Week/Pollution Prevention Week Proclamations
RRWA Creek Week Partner / Sponsorships
