The East Stanislaus Resource Conservation District will host the ninth annual Stanislaus River Cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 16 as part of the statewide Great Sierra River Clean Up. Volunteers will converge on the river to haul away cigarette butts, broken bottles, tires, and more.

“Each year, our community members join in on the important task of taking care of our most precious resource – our watershed,” said Alexandria Miranda of the East Stanislaus Resource Conservation District. “We are seeking volunteers of all ages to come out to help and enjoy a fun and worthwhile day on the river.”

Volunteers can either pre-register or come a little early to complete the forms on the day of event. With the high river levels this year, it is anticipated that a great amount of trash can be removed with help from the community. Volunteers can participate at one of two clean-up sites in Oakdale and Riverbank. To pre-register for any of the sites, volunteers can contact Alexandria Miranda at (209) 287-3661.

The event is part of the Great Sierra River Cleanup taking place on rivers throughout the Sierra region, which in turn is part of the California-wide Coastal Cleanup Day.

“It’s the largest volunteer effort in the state,” added Miranda, “and we’re thrilled to have the Stanislaus River on the list of waterways being cleaned up. This is an event for the whole family. We’re encouraging schools, churches and other groups to come and join us.”

Contact Miranda at 209-287-3661 or Alexandria@eaststanrcd.org for more information regarding cleanup locations and registration.