The Adopt-a-Levee Program
Did you know that more trash is typically found in our rivers than on our beaches?
This trash wreaks havoc in our marine environment, pollutes our ocean, and litters our coastal community!
That's why Save Our Shores and the City of Santa Cruz created the Adopt-a-Levee program: to clean up the San Lorenzo River. In it's pilot year (mid-2011 through mid-2012), the Adopt-a-Levee program enlisted five local groups eager to step up to the challenge to create a healthier watershed for future generations and marine animals alike. Together, these five Adopt-a-Levee group completed 18 river cleanups before the end of June, 2012. Their efforts continue to create a lasting and positive impact on the health of our watershed here on Monterey Bay.
The impact these Adopt-a-Levee groups made in the pilot year is incredible:
They removed 2,321 lbs. of debris from the banks and levees of the San Lorenzo River!
Join us in thanking our Adopt-a-Levee groups for cleaning up their adopted stretch of river:
Tannery Arts Center
Adopted North of Hwy 1 towards Tannery
Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary
Adopted Hwy 1 at the overpass near Felker St.
Homeless Services Center
Adopted Water St. Bridge to Laurel St. Bridge
Brown Dog Community Services
Adopted Laurel St. Bridge to Riverside Bridge
The Adopt-a-Levee program is funded by the City of Santa Cruz Clean River, Beaches, and Ocean Fund (Measure E).
Adopt-a-Levee is renewed for 2013-2014! Thank you, City of Santa Cruz, for your support of healthy watersheds!
Why River Cleanups?
Save Our Shores has been conducting beach cleanups for 30 years, yet the plastic pollution and marine debris problem only seems to be getting worse. In 2008, SOS decided to take a new approach to tackling this issue by hosting river cleanups, too. Now as a joint effort with the City of Santa Cruz, community river cleanups occur about 4 times a year from 10am - Noon. And now we have the Adopt-a-Levee program, and the San Lorenzo River keeps getting cleaner and cleaner!
Cleanup Data Makes Waves...
Save Our Shores volunteers collect data during all of our cleanups. This data provides us with key insights into the sources of our local pollution and marine debris problem, and helps us strategize how to best stop pollution in its tracks. From local bans on single-use plastic bags and polystyrene containers, to our BaitTanks, the data collected during these cleanups is an integral component of all of our advocacy work.
- Download the SOS-data-card for your cleanups.
- Report your findings via our online database...
