Recreational Users
The beaches and sandbars along the river are popular picnic
and party spots, and with the onset of summer, quickly become
littered with cans and bottles, food wrappers, plastic bags,
campfires, discarded pool toys and beach chairs, and lost or
discarded clothing. Tippy canoeists add a steady stream of
chip bags, sunscreen tubes, drink bottles and sandals to the
river. Fishermen discard plastic foam bait containers and
packaging from their tackle.
Illegal Dumping
Some people see the river as an alternative to paying dump
fees, especially along the more isolated reaches where there is
a minimal risk of being caught. Therefore, household garbage,
broken TV’s, microwaves, mattresses, easy chairs, construction
and remodeling debris, and automobile parts and tires are thrown
down the banks, to be ultimately washed downstream.
Homeless and Migrant Worker Camps
In the summer, the riparian forest along the banks of the river
becomes an attractive place for people who have nowhere else to
live. With no public services, the nearest clump of
willows becomes a handy garbage can.
Flood and Agricultural Debris
Agriculture, particularly grapes, is a major activity along
the entire course of the river. Agricultural debris, such as
plastic sheeting and netting, pipe, hose, buckets and other
containers, often find their way into creeks and then into the
river itself. During heavy rains, flood waters sweep
through fields and riverside houses, taking away everything not
fastened down and some things that were. Cleanup crews
have recovered everything from smashed canoes to the kitchen
sink. Surprisingly enough, an empty casket.
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