5,000 pounds of trash hauled out of Petaluma River

More than 250 people turned out last week to clean up nearly 5,000 pounds of trash from the Petaluma River, including some unique and bulky items dumped into the city’s waterway.

Community members worked as part of California Coastal Cleanup Day. Friends of the Petaluma River organized the river cleanup with the help of the Sonoma Resource Conservation District and funding from the Sonoma County Water Agency. A record 255 volunteers on came out and removed 4,972 pounds of trash from 14 locations throughout the watershed, including from boats on the river.

“Friends of the Petaluma River is dedicated to protecting and conserving the Petaluma Watershed, the largest intact tidal estuary in California,” Stephanie Bastianon, executive director of Friends of the Petaluma River said in a statement. “A clean Petaluma River provides everything from recreation opportunities to precious fish and wildlife habitat. We are thrilled to see so many members of our community pitching in to ensure the health and vitality of the Petaluma River.”

Friends of the Petaluma River, a nonprofit organization stewarding the Petaluma Watershed through education, access and conservation, maintains Steamer Landing Park, home of the David Yearsley River Heritage Center, where River events and activities are held.

Some of the items removed from the river during the cleanup included tires and car parts, chairs and a massive fiberglass tub, according to photos taken from the event.

“Eighty percent of trash collected from our beaches and oceans originates in our inland waterways,” Christine Kuehn of the Sonoma Resource Conservation District, said in a statement. “It is so important that we work to stop inland litter before it reaches our beaches.”

The Sonoma Resource Conservation District covers 919,000 acres and includes the Russian River, Petaluma River, Sonoma Creek, Stemple Creek and Gualala River Watersheds.

(Contact Matt Brown at matt.brown@arguscourier.com.)