by Kate Montgomery
These days we can hardly find any more trash in the Salinas River where it runs through Atascadero. So we’re changing tactics! We’re cleaning up Atascadero Creek, the River’s main Atascadero tributary, which is clogged with plastics, shopping carts, abandoned bedding, and years of other trash on the banks and in the water. We’ve already had 3 creek cleanups in 2022.
photo of carts removed from Atascadero Creek, 3/12/22 by Carol Paulsen
In January 15 volunteers bagged and drug out 75 large bags of trash from the areas around the 1921 bridge at Capistrano Ave. and the Via bridge by the Hay and Feed store.
In February Beaver Brigade had a crew of 10 that joined up with Earth Shine, a likeminded Paso Robles volunteer cleanup nonprofit. We worked into and along the creek and under bridges near downtown Atascadero.
In March our largest turnout ever (18 of us hardy souls) hauled out 21 shopping carts, 38 large bags of trash, bicycle parts, camping equipment, and all manner of other stuff from under and around the Lewis Avenue Bridge.
photo by Amalia Galpert, March 12, 2022, The Happy SLO BB Cleanup Crew
Most unexpected finds:
- a huge flat screen tv and a
- blue car door.
Most useful equipment used:
- ropes and
- waders and
- 3 pickup trucks.
Total Beaver Brigade volunteer time for these 2 mornings: 72 hours.
Biggest thanks to: Atascadero Mutual Water Company for letting us in to use their dumpster on a Sunday.
Reward for a morning’s hard labor: snack of sweet oranges and chips with the friendly company of fellow Beaver Believers. And even better, knowing that Atascadero Creek is flowing so much cleaner now. Confession: There’s still another accumulation of trash downstream of the Lewis Avenue bridge that we haven’t gotten to yet. And 2 abandoned camps near the 41 bridge over the Salinas River.
Contact Kate and Fred at <katewave8600@gmail.com> if you would like your name added to our cleanup volunteers list.