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On Saturday, June 18th, a group of 78 volunteers joined Orange County Coastkeeper, Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, and Senator Dave Min for a trash cleanup at the Santa Ana-Delhi channel in Costa Mesa. In just two hours, the group removed over 2,500 pounds of debris from the waterway, preventing it from impacting Upper Newport Bay. This astounding number is the most trash picked up at a single cleanup in OC Coastkeeper’s 23-year history. Volunteers snagged several large items, such as musical instruments, rugs, bike tires, blankets, and a stethoscope.
“It makes me so happy when I see people really care about our community. Thank you to the amazing volunteers who made this River Channel Cleanup a huge success,” said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine). “Over 2,500 pounds of trash were collected. Just imagine, all of that could have ended up in the ocean.”
“Keeping river channels clean and trash-free is vital to protecting our local wetlands and estuaries, especially here at the edge of Newport Back Bay,” said Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine). “I’m grateful to Orange County Coastkeeper and Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris for partnering together on the river cleanup that drew scores of volunteers in Costa Mesa. This level of enthusiasm shows how important this joint effort was to our Orange County community, and I hope we continue to break more records like Saturday’s 2,500 pound haul from the Santa Ana-Delhi Channel.”
“Protecting the ocean from trash begins in our neighborhoods,” said Dyana Peña, Orange County Coastkeeper’s Deputy Director of Programs. “The volunteers who showed up today should be extremely proud of their accomplishments. Being able to prevent over 2,500 pounds of trash from entering Newport Bay is incredible.”
Orange County waterways collect trash from inland communities via the county’s rivers and storm drains. If not intercepted, the pollution impacts our oceans and shorelines. Community cleanups are one of the best ways for the public to help prevent this debris from polluting the sea and harming marine wildlife.
By cleaning up the Santa Ana-Delhi channel, the volunteers helped protect one of California’s few remaining estuaries, Upper Newport Bay. The bay plays a vital role in our marine ecosystem and for local recreational uses.
