Robla Creek Cleanup, 5/19/24

On Sunday, we had an AMAZING cleanup at Robla Creek which attracted 38 volunteers who arrived ready to get busy! This was the first time RCWA had cleaned this beautiful little creek. Therefore, close coordination with the Robla Park Community Association was required, and boy did the Association come through BIG time!
Illegal camps had been rampant there until recently and extensively damaged a long island in the middle of the creek and left the beautiful parkway completely trashed and polluted with garbage and endless foul smells. Therefore, it was time to restore the natural ecosystem for the wildlife and others who wish to enjoy it.
We split into two teams, tackling a huge abandoned encampment as well as a large tree house full of trash, garbage and moldy textiles. The first encampment was accessed by crossing the creek on a rickety bridge made of wood planks, anchored by a foundation of multiple shopping carts lying on the creek bed and blocking the channel. At the second spot, the tree house was built within the foliage and appeared to contain every possible building material available - plywood, timbers, plastic lattice, branches, chicken wire, blankets, winter coats, sleeping bags, cardboard, pet food bags, tarps, plastic bags, Styrofoam, carpet, etc. - all held in place by long nails, screws, straps, ropes, metal wire, twine and bungee cords. As the structure was removed and the surrounding area cleaned, everything had to be ferried across the creek as there was no available bridge. Fortunately, we found an abandoned canoe in very rough shape, but quickly discovered it was seaworthy enough to use as our “trash barge”.
Taking a much needed break, neighbors and RCWA volunteers Veronica and Vicki provided a fantastic home-prepared lunch and refreshments before we headed back to finish hauling and loading the trash into the 20-yard dumpster provided by the City. We stacked, packed and jumped on the trash using our extensive trash loading experience, but couldn’t fit it all into the dumpster. With trash well above the rim, we were forced to make a separate pile nearby. The total morning haul was estimated at more than 12,000 pounds. Yowza! It was a grueling cleanup and there is still more to do, but the area looks so much better!
A message from RCWA stalwart Vicki Updyke:
The Robla Park Community Association would like to thank all who made this cleanup a smashing success:
River City Waterway Alliance
Elk Grove Anti-Trash Volunteers
Lisa Kaplan, Sacramento City Councilwoman, District 1 and representative Mateo Ramirez-Mercado
Robla Park Community Association Action Committee members
YPCE - City of Sacramento District 2 Commissioner Gordon Lew
City of Sacramento - Recycling & Solid Waste
Forensiclean
Finally, a huge thank you to all the neighbors and friends who came out to participate in this amazing cleanup.
What can be accomplished by a dedicated group of people working together to make a difference is truly amazing!
Volunteers Make It Happen! 💚
River City Waterway Alliance
𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 & 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴
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[@MargaritaChavez-tk4cb]

So glad that their community came out to help clean this creek. Love it when the community cares. Thank you RiverCityWaterwayAlliance volunteers!

[@MadelineRose-ep7fj]

Just love the work you volunteers do. Be safe out there❤.😊

[@EpicR_NL]

Great job everyone. The 50 are still burning in my pocket. 😉😊

[@mufasah888]

Way to go Daryl for saving the canoe! It definitely still had life left in it. Enjoy! 😊