“This is the last ditch effort before it ends up in the ocean.” “It’s important to clean up our streets, it comes down the storm drains,” she said. In addition to the river mouths, dozens of storm drains also spill into the ocean following storms. Patterson said the trash now strewn on the sand and in the water is a reminder for people to clean up inland before it can get to the coast, noting that 80% of inland litter ends up at the beach. “Beach people and ocean people, we just know it gets bad after a storm,” she said, collecting more than 100 pounds of trash in a short time Wednesday morning.Īfter cleaning the beach for three and a half hours, Patterson said she planned to get on her paddleboard later in the afternoon to scour the sea for what washed out into the ocean.

Vicki Patterson, founder of Stand Up To Trash, had the same idea as Volpe on Wednesday, trekking down to Doheny to see the damage and teaming up with Volpe and another volunteer, Cesar Virto, to put a dent in the debris.

Leaders make pitch why sand for San Clemente beaches is a federal funding priority Surfing Mom’s nonprofit helps caretakers catch wavesįirefighter honored in San Clemente during candlelight vigilīig wave advisory issued for Southern California Strong surf shows up at Southern California beaches “If it was a landfill on a street corner, people would say ‘You gotta do something.’” Related Articles You don’t see it after a while, it washes away,” he said. It’s hard for people to understand the impacts of the urban pollution because in a few days the trash will be mostly gone – out to sea and out of sight, Volpe said. The trashed beaches are a stark reminder of how much of a problem land-based garbage can be, a compilation of pollution from litter thrown into gutters, along streets and overflowing from trash cans further inland, he said.Īt San Juan Creek, a sand barrier that’s been there for a year broke into the ocean, spewing out rushing water – and trash – from inland. So instead, he showed up to spend time cleaning the sand.

Volpe learned that lesson the hard way, he said, developing sore throats and ear infections by surfing in the past after the rain.

The OC Health Care Agency issued a rain advisory on Tuesday, advising people stay out of the ocean for at least 72 hours due to higher levels of bacteria from the pollution, which can cause illness. “It just funnels its way down, this is the exit … this whole inside was a soup of garbage,” he said, pointing out to the brown ocean. He said the early-morning high tide likely washed much of the trash out to sea before he and a few others arrived to help. But not because it magically disappeared. Volpe was also at Doheny as the storm cleared late Tuesday and said it was much worse than the following morning, when he returned to help clean up the mess. Beaches trashed after Tuesday’s heavy rain storm sends debris toward the ocean – Orange County Register Close Menu

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