Published: Sep 24, 2013 | 16:47 PM

Large Haul Pulled from San Diego Creek

At first, the black, coiled item lying on the side of San Diego Creek resembled a snake. It turned out to be a flattened and weathered bicycle tire.

That item, along with construction debris that might have fallen off trucks on the freeway, was pulled out of the creek during Inner-Coastal Watershed Clean Up Day on Saturday, September 21. IRWD has hosted this site for the past 13 years in conjunction with Trails 4All, the event’s founder. The clean up coincides with Coastal Clean Up Day.

Unlike that clean up event, the goal of Inner-Coastal Watershed Clean Up Day is to clean trash from creeks and streams that empty out into bays and beaches.

“Grab it before it gets to the beach,” says event founder James Meyer.

Around 80 volunteers turned out to clean the creek of all manner of trash and recyclables and that they did. Both three-yard bins were filled.

Zach Simpson, 16, a Northwood High School student, would receive field service hours for his advanced placement environmental science class. Most of the volunteers were from the high school, but a Girl Scout troop and some private citizens participated as well. Over the years, more than 28,000 volunteers have cleaned up one million pounds of trash and recyclables at sites in Orange and Riverside counties.