Want to Give Back? Volunteer to Clean Up Forester Creek

Volunteers are needed this Saturday, June 9 from 9 a.m. to noon to remove trash and debris from Forester Creek.

Huge amounts of mostly plastic trash end up in Forester Creek, an urban waterway that passes through the city of El Cajon before connecting with the San Diego River in the city of Santee.

Groups of all ages are welcome to pitch in and help. The cleanup is sponsored by the Clean and Green Team from the San Diego River Park Foundation.

No experience is necessary. All tools and supplies are provided. You should wear sturdy clothing and, if you have them, waterproof boots. A hat and sunscreen are also recommended.

Volunteers will rendezvous at the city of Santee public works building at 9534 Via Zapador at 9 a.m.

For more information, you can call (619) 297-7380 or email: volunteer@sandiegoriver.org. Details about the event are  posted on the River Park Foundation’s website.

Spring Cleaning at Forester Creek

A crew of about a dozen workers, including Public Services Manager Bob Stein, (shown here), removed more than 15 cubic yards of trash and debris from Forester Creek Thursday.

Santee routinely cleans the concrete-lined channel to protect water quality in the San Diego River, which receives the flow from the tributary creek.

“We try to clean out the channel after every storm with city crews, volunteers and our contractors,” Stein said.

Most of the trash, which includes tons of plastics, is transported by rain into storm drains in the city of El Cajon and gets flushed downstream to Santee, Stein explained.

Santee’s stream cleaning effort is necessary to fulfill requirements of its state stormwater discharge permit, which is aimed at enforcing the federal Clean Water Act.

"To promote better water quality in the San Diego River, we regularly clear out drain pipes, clean drainage channels and hire a contractor to perform street sweeping," Stein said.