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View Full Version : American, recycling drop-off??



slage
06-25-2006, 09:41 AM
Was out and about yesterday on the Can, absolutely disgusting. Since the rafting has begun, the amount of trash in and around the water is a sad thing to see.
I saw more than one complete 24 pack, emptied, clanging around the bottom. More on the shore, unfortunately.
It's never going to go away but how can it be minimized??
Is there any "adopt-a-river" outings to organize pick-ups?

What about organizing one here? :!:
Any interest in maybe afternoon bbq, trash pick up, evening fish??

David Lee
06-25-2006, 10:54 AM
20-odd years ago , when I was a youngster , we used to do the same stuff as the kids now do - float in whatever we could get our hands on , drink Beer , etc. .

Truth be told ..... I don't recall a single piece of litter/Beercan/bottle that we EVER left out there .... or any fighting or public stupidity .

My Mother would have kicked my ass up to my shoulders if I'd have done any of that crap . And , she likely would have done it in public .

The park and rec. department is less than worthless in my opinion .... it would seem that their job consists of picking up the entrance fees , nothing more . And , just TRY to get a cop out there - it won't happen .

I think the ONLY thing anyone can do is .... pack along a big garbage bag w/ you when you're out , and fill it before you leave . And , for your own sake , carry a cellphone and pepperspray/priest/pistol/taser and the knowledge of how and WHEN to use them ..... walk away from situations when you can .... or run , but when you can't ..... defend yourself .

David , who has seen way too much out there .

Shawn M.
06-25-2006, 12:05 PM
I was always taught that one piece of garbage I picked up was equal to one nice brown!!

Darian
06-25-2006, 12:13 PM
Seems to me that there's been an annual river clean-up each fall since I've lived here (1974???).... Anyway, it's an organized event employing area divers, as well as bank walkers, etc. :lol: :lol: I can't recall who the organizer is but I'd be willing to bet if you contact Save The american River (SARA) organization, they could tell you who it is.... 8) 8)

I tend to agree that County Parks & Recreation doesn't appear to do much with the money they receive but, in fairness, they find themselves in a similar situation with DFG and libraries. Everyone wants their services but aren't willing to pay for them.... :? :?

The only alternarive is volunteerism 8) 8) 8) 8)

JerryInLodi
06-25-2006, 02:47 PM
The answer is enforcement with the sentences being weekend river clean-up. I know our county deputies are spread thin but the county does have a boat patrol. They need to get off the big water of the Sacramento and do the American every once in a while.

The amount of citations for littering, drunk in public, etc would make for one huge weekend work crew doing clean up with their orange vests on while their buddies float down the river.

I think it would get some immediate attention. Maybe you SARA members could go speak up before the Board of Superv isors and make calls to the Sheriff's Office.

Darian
06-25-2006, 03:17 PM
Interesting solution.... :) :) Of course, there'd have to be some coordination between the courts and law enforcement to make that happen, but.... :?: :?:

I'm not sure enforcement is the ONLY solution available. I believe that increased enforcement would not be acceptable to some members of the Board of Supervisors or rafting companies.... :? Otherwise, increased enforcement would've already occured. Let's face it.... Business activities generate more revenues for the county coffers than our permit fees do and money talks. :roll: :roll:

Other than increased law enforcement and volunteerism, there's probably some good realistic solution to this that we haven't imagined, yet. Hopefully, that option will become apparent, soon..... 8) 8) 8)

Digger
06-25-2006, 04:17 PM
David for Mayor!!!!!

I too remember way back when, and never recall such a situation when I used the A back in the 70's early 80's.

I wonder just how much, if any the raft rentals biz does to help deter littering and so forth. Do they have posted signs and communicate the situation in their locations of operations? asking for cooperation in minimizing such negative impacts of their industry?

And, what about Friends of the River, they're a big proponent and political activist org for the States' rivers and appeal to the whitewater folks. Do they sponsor river clean-up events?

SullyTM
06-25-2006, 07:35 PM
David won't run for Mayor...He can't be corrupted :D Whenever I go out fishing I take a garbage bag. Even though I may be picking up someone elses bottles and cans the end result for me is fly tying $$. DO NOT expect local law enforcement or municipalities to solve the problem. If you care about the environment you'll do what you can, when you can...

BTW David, my mother would have the Catholic Ear Twist on me :wink:

Later...

JerryInLodi
06-25-2006, 07:50 PM
Being ex-law enforcement (Sac PD 12 years before sailing to the South Pacific in a 30 foot sloop) it bothers me when people say don't expect law enforcement to do anything. I know littering, drunk in public, disturbing the peace in the form of loud and unwanted obcenities are not capital crimes but you should EXPECT your law enforcement people to do something. That's their mission. When I joined Sac PD that whole idea was drilled into us from our first day.

Hold your PD's and SO's to the highest standard. Expect miracles from them. Expect them to "SERVE". In California, and especially in Sacramento we're lucky to have the finest law enforcement possible. Low expectations produce departments like the one in New Orleans. A police department should never be "too busy" to serve.

Ok, now off my soap box. I also pick up litter but it would sure make me grin to see a bunch of college kids in orange vests working some of the beaches filling up big orange trash bags with beer cans, food wrappers, etc. That and some posting along the river of "Haul it in, haul it out, or else and a picture of a guy in an orange vest with a trash bag might at least make the sober ones clean up after themselves.

And I was a recepient of the Catholic ear twist at St. Philomene's (El Camino and Bell) from first through eight grade, then the grab you by the front of your shirt and scream at you at CB.

Tony Buzolich
06-26-2006, 07:18 AM
Jerry, I think that would be a great punishment for those that commit such acts (picking up trash) but the problem is enforcement. There's not enough force out there to manage much of anything, be it game wardens, park rangers, or sheriff deputies.

As for trash now versus before, Paradise Beach in the 60's used to have some hallacious beer parties :D, topless co-eds from Sac State :P and I think :roll: there even was some fishing then too. It was a great place to go get stuck in the sand as you could drive completely over the levee. Sometimes if you went the wrong way in the dark you'd end up IN the river.
Thinking back further, there also used to be Jet Boat rides just like the mail boat rides on the Rogue that would start in downtown Sac and blast there way clear up the entire river.

Maybe there wasn't as much trash back then but there was some. There weren't near as many people back then either.
TONY

Jay Murakoshi
06-26-2006, 07:50 AM
It's not only the rivers, the beaches get the same treatment. They do have a beach clean up a couple times a year and it's amazing how much junk they collect.
When I was living in the area, I use to pick up and pack out a couple pieces of litter every trip.
It's amazing to watch people just drop there trash. Hey, you can have a can 10' from them and they will not make an effort to walk that far. One of the biggest things I see is the shopping carts in the parking lots. There was a person who packed there things in the trunk and then pushed the cart to the planter area and just left it. They were 2 spaces away from the cart drop off, now that's lazy - in my opinion only

Now, I ask all of you a question... When you change leaders or tie on a new tippet.... how many of you discard the small pieces of mono or florocarbon into the water, how many roll it up and put it in you pocket

:D :oops: [-X

Jay

SullyTM
06-26-2006, 11:38 AM
Jerry, No offense meant towards the men and women in law enforcement. I just think enforcing littering laws, at least in my home town, is not a priority. If Sacramento area law enforcement agencies have made it a priority I applaud their efforts...Still, bring a garbage bag with you when you'reout fishing or hiking.

Darian
06-26-2006, 11:41 AM
I had to think about this one for a minute.... :? :? I try to carry out what I bring in; whether in a boat, walking or wading. The truth is that if a section of mono is big enougn for me to see, it gets put away for disposal, later. If I cut off a small piece of mono (say trimming the knot) and it hits the deck before I can get it, I probably won't be able to find/see it and it gets discarded. :( :(

On occassion, we've all come accross lengthy sections of mono either broken off in the water or along the bank where someone has stripped it off to eliminate tangles, etc. I try to retrieve those and dump 'em. I once took a header into a Blackberry vine from being tripped by a length of heavy mono on the bank of the Feather. :x :x

JerryInLodi
06-26-2006, 04:33 PM
Found this in my e-mail from my other hobby, cycling.

The American River Parkway Foundation needs your help if you spare 3 daylight hours on July 4th.

I can't find the page in their website but they will be passing out trash bags to rafters on July 4th and collecting them downstream. They have about six clean up days scheduled each year. If fishing the American for steelhead, stripers and shad is your thing you might check out this web site and hey, maybe even volunteer.

http://www.arpf.org/index.html

Tony Buzolich
06-26-2006, 05:52 PM
This is a universal problem everywhere and nothing unique to just our rivers. Steve and Gina Abel started a "Gimme Five" program a while back that is hopefully going to educate a lot of folks and start some newer good habits for all of us that want a cleaner enviroment.

You can read about it at the Abel website or Mid-Current just put out an article about it too.
TONY