Nearly 10,000 pounds of trash was removed from the San Diego River after three days of organized clean ups.
On July 30, Aug. 8 and 10, cleaning took place on riverbeds behind Qualcomm stadium and under the bridges of Route 163 and Interstate 805.
The cleanup uncovered some illegal dump sites, where large amounts of debris were found.
“Illegal dumping in the San Diego River is a serious problem,” said Councilwoman Lorie Zapf. “There is a staggering amount of trash and debris that builds up in the riverbed and during the rainy season, everything gets washed out to our beaches and bays.”
The project was funded by Community Development Block Grant provided to Alpha Project by San Diego City Council. Through the subsidy, former transients and gang members were given temporary employment to clean the river. Volunteers from San Diego River Park Foundation and Zapf’s office assisted the workers.
