12 Tons Of Trash Removed From Sierra Nevada

Refrigerators, shopping carts, tires and more were among the disturbing items removed from the watersheds along the Sierra Nevada during the 8th annual Great Sierra River Cleanup.

The event is coordinated by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, a state of California government agency, which reports that 12 tons of trash was removed this past Saturday. Locally the Tuolumne County Resource Conservation District had 60 volunteers that collected 506 lbs. of trash. Some of the more unique local items included a porta-potty and a pop-up shade structure.

Sierra Nevada Conservancy Executive Director Jim Branham says, “The energy that our Great Sierra River Cleanup Volunteers invest each year shows just how important the watersheds of the Sierra are to all Californians. This is where our water comes from, and we need to take special care of it.”

60-percent of the state’s developed water supply originates in the Sierra Nevada.  The Sierra stretches across 22 counties in California and 25-million acres.