Atascadero Creek cleanup nets record haul

GOELTA, Calif. - The latest creek cleanup marked a new record haul for trash.

Staff with the Environmental Defense Center (EDC) and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper organized Saturday's event.

A record turnout of 44 volunteers spent hours clearing out debris from Atascadero Creek.

Brian Trautwein, the EDC's Senior Analyst and Watershed Program Director, said a total of 2,630 pounds of trash was bagged up and hauled away.

"This was EDC’s biggest single cleanup ever bringing the season total to 10,877 pounds! This is more than double prior years. We had local scouts and UCSB Engineers Without Borders join us. Co-hosts and sponsors included: Union Bank, Clif Family Foundation, UCSB Coastal Fund, City of Goleta, and SB County Project Clean Water."

The majority of items collected included bicycle parts, shopping carts, clothing and junk left behind from recent encampments.

Just to reiterate, Trautwein said since September volunteers have cleared nearly 11,000 pounds of trash from six creeks in Santa Barbara County.