Report on June 23, 2018 Clean-up of San Pablo Reservoir by Citizens for a Greener El Sobrante (C4AGES)
This was our third annual “Kayak Clean-up” event at the San Pablo Reservoir.
Event Goal: Litter removal and public education Participants: 29 volunteers (adults and children)
- Twenty-three kayakers took part in the clean-up, and one volunteer piloted a canoe which served to collect the trash removed from the water.
- A new feature this year was use of a motorboat in addition to the kayaks, that enabled five non-kayakers (including one child) to participate by picking up trash on the opposite shore.
- C4AGEs provided beverages for the picnic lunch that followed the clean-up work.
Event Highlights: The day was a warm one, and people enjoyed being out on the water. When volunteers entered the serene, more shaded tributary to the San Pablo Reservoir, they found it was thickly laden with algae, and inhabited by wildlife, including multiple herons and egrets. The tributary held many decomposing shrubs and trees impacted by the high water levels that heavy rains two winters ago brought to the area. Several volunteers spotted a bald eagle!
Litter Removed from the Reservoir
- A large BRUTE trash container
- Three post fences attached with barbed wire
- Tennis balls, estimated at about 200 balls
- Plastic and glass bottles, and other recyclables (large container)
- Plastic pots (large trash bag)
- Styrofoam (large trash bag)
- Aerosol containers (small trash bag)
- Miscellaneous trash (large trash bag)
Thank you to all our volunteers and to East Bay Municipal Utility District for their boat!
Motorboat provided by East Bay Municipal Utility District enabled non-kayaking volunteers to participate in clean-up (Photos: Marina Chainey)
C4AGES Coordinator Sharon Korotkin & event leader Ken Chainey pose
with the trash collected at Third Annual Kayak Clean-up (6/23/18)
Bald eagle seen during reservoir clean-up