A team of over 40 volunteers joined the Smith River Alliance and partners for a Smith River National Recreation Area (NRA) February 24 cleanup along Highway 199 and South Fork Rd. The two hour event removed 3,620 pounds of trash and metal, including a discarded concrete mixer. It’s estimated 80 percent of the Coastal trash originates from inland rivers and streams that discharge into the ocean. The volunteers have cleaned up many sites throughout the NRA to prevent this trash from reaching our waterways.
The NRA encompasses 305 thousand acres and the watershed has the highest density of Wild and Scenic Rivers in the USA. The Smith River is a salmon stronghold and home to forested mountains, unique botanical areas, remote wild landscapes, steep rocky canyons, diverse geologic features and pristine waterways.
Special thanks to an amazing community of volunteers including Cal Poly Humboldt Natural Resource Club, Del Norte Solid Waste Management, Hiouchi Café, Home Depot, NRA Staff and Redwood Parks Conservancy. For future cleanup events please follow up on Smith River Alliance and Redwood Parks Conservancy websites.