Clean River Efforts
Combating pollution in the San Diego River
Our Clean River Program organizes volunteers to work toward a pollution-free San Diego River. We focus these efforts on the lower 21 miles of the river in the cities of Santee and San Diego, though we also work on targeted tributaries and parts of the unincorporated county.
Our approach is innovative because we collect robust, comprehensive data about trash and condition of the San Diego River through field surveys. By having our boots on the ground almost daily, we are uniquely positioned to make plans and advocate for effective and efficient trash removal. We partner with the City of San Diego, City of Santee, other public agencies and land owners and managers to work together to take action against trash and pollution!
River Assessment Field Team
Also known as RAFT, this team is all about data collection! Under the guidance of a trained leader, volunteers help scout for trash twice per week, recording the data in a custom mapping tool.
Clean & Green Team
The Clean & Green Team mobilizes volunteers to remove trash and help create a healthier, cleaner, safer San Diego River Park system. Trash removal events are a great way to get involved, and no previous experience is needed.
River Rescue Team
The River Rescuers are a small but mighty clean-up team! They tackle clean-up in areas of the San Diego River that are not suited for a large community clean-up, are too remote, or require special training. Many volunteers join on a regular basis but we welcome new friends!
Special Effort in 2026:
Focus on "Special Removal Needed" Trash
For many years, we have diligently recorded trash in the riverbed as "Special Removal Needed." This may be trash that is submerged in the river, partially buried, extremely heavy, or in need of dismantling before it can be removed. Some of these require special tools, like a winch, shovel or digging bar, Sawzall, or waders. Because of these challenges this trash has so far been mostly on the backburner as we implement our clean-up priorities, and some of it has been out there for years!
Our River Rescue Special Removal Team was formed in 2026 to tackle hard to reach trash and get it out of the river... for good.
Thanks to an generous grant provided by the Cushman Foundation and the Page Family Foundation, we have funding to get this going. Learn more by clicking the button below.