For the sixth year in a row, the City of Lodi will co-sponsor a  Mokelumne River cleanup at Lodi Lake Park, 1101 W. Turner Road, as part of California Coastal Cleanup Day.
Volunteers can help remove trash and other debris from the river, before it reaches the Pacific Ocean, from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 20. The City of Lodi's Public Works and Parks and Recreation departments are co-sponsoring the event along with the San Joaquin County Public Works Department.
Volunteers last year removed 3,300 pounds of trash from Lodi Lake and the adjoining Mokelumne River.
Team leaders and volunteers are needed to assist with the Lodi cleanup. California Coastal Cleanup Day is the premier volunteer event focused on the marine environment in the country. Each year, more than 40,000 volunteers turn out to over 400 cleanup sites statewide to conduct what has been hailed by the Guinness Book of Records as "the largest garbage collection (1993)."
Since the program started in 1985, more than 750,000 Californians have removed almost 12 million pounds of debris from our state's shorelines and coast. When combined with the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by The Ocean Conservancy and taking place on the same day, California Coastal Cleanup Day becomes part of one of the largest volunteer events of the year.
In Lodi, the lake and park area are divided into sections, or "reaches," with a 10- to 12-person team designated to clean each reach. Once the reach is cleaned of its trash, the team then sorts and records all debris found. Data is then submitted to The Ocean Conservancy’s international database. This data is used to identify the sources of marine pollution and help the Conservancy in its work towards devising solutions to the marine debris problem. There is also a statewide contest for the "most unusual item found." A Lodi student was a statewide winner of a $100 prize several years ago when he found an unscratched lottery ticket.
Persons interested in serving as a team leader should contact Kathy Grant at (209) 339-8722 for more information. Leaders should arrive by 8 a.m.
All volunteers must sign a waiver form. Additionally, for volunteers under the age of 18, the Waiver of Liability Form must also be signed by a parent/guardian and must be turned in on that day. No work may be performed without these forms signed by a parent/guardian.
Proper dress for work: Work clothes, closed-toe shoes and gloves, hats and sun-block also advised.
The City of Lodi and its sponsors will provide gloves, bags, grapplers, and refreshments.
Teachers and scout leaders can receive additional information, including classroom curriculum, by e-mailing coast4u@coastal.ca.gov.
Organizations wishing to help sponsor the event should contact Kathy Grant at the above phone number.
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