Published: Sep 29, 2015 | 09:00 AM

San Diego Creek Clean Up Yields ‘Buried Treasure’

Nine intrepid volunteers from a Northwood High School environmental studies class were determined to unearth the treasure from San Diego Creek. They dug through the muck and mud, using their gloved hands and makeshift shovels of sticks and discarded PVC.

After about an hour, the treasure – a shopping cart - was freed and rolled to the waiting trash bin. Following a quick hydration break, the group headed out to see what else they could find.

The shopping cart, along with construction debris that might have fallen off trucks on the freeway, foam cups and drink lids, cans and bottles were pulled out of the creek during Inner-Coastal Watershed Clean Up Day on Saturday, September 19. IRWD has hosted this site for the past 15 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. Around 40 volunteers turned out to clean the creek of all manner of trash and recyclables.

Many of the students would receive community service hours through their schools. 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.