Pasadena Volunteers Clean Arroyo Seco on Sept. 19

When you clean up trash from a creek in Pasadena, you're protecting beaches hundreds of miles away.

That's the beautiful connection driving California Coastal Cleanup Day, coming to Pasadena's Arroyo Seco on Saturday, September 19, from 9:00 am to noon. Volunteers will remove trash from local waterways before it flows downstream to the Pacific Ocean.

The City of Pasadena's Public Works Department and the West Pasadena Residents' Association are inviting everyone to join in. The meeting point is 360 N. Arroyo Blvd., and no special skills are required.

California Coastal Cleanup Day is the state's largest annual volunteer event. Communities across California gather on the same day to clean beaches, creeks, rivers, lakes, and other waterways that all eventually connect.

The work goes beyond just picking up litter. Volunteers record the types of trash they collect, creating valuable data that helps researchers understand pollution patterns and develop better solutions.

The Ripple Effect

This single morning of community action supports year-round environmental protection. The cleanup connects to Pasadena's broader stormwater program, which works daily to prevent pollution from entering storm drains and contaminating local water supplies.

The city captures, treats, and monitors water quality throughout the year as part of its Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System permit. Public participation events like this cleanup day help meet those environmental responsibilities while building community awareness.

Every piece of trash removed from the Arroyo Seco is one less item threatening wildlife, contaminating drinking water, or washing out to sea. When neighbors work together for three hours, the impact multiplies across the entire watershed.

Registration is open now at Coastal.ca.gov/PublicEd/ccd/ccd.html. Bring your friends, your family, and your commitment to keeping California's waters clean for everyone who depends on them.