Despite the coronavirus and, now, the poor air quality from north state wildfires, the 23rd Annual South Yuba River Citizen’s League Cleanup is still happening, starting Wednesday, September 16th. But Community Engagement Manager, Daniel Belshe, says it’s a dramatically altered format. Instead of for one day, it’ll be spread over 12 days, to improve social distancing. And this year the river has been impacted by more visitors than ever before, with fewer recreation options available, leaving behind a lot of garbage and debris harmful to swimmers and the ecosystem…

Belshe says the number of cleanup sites has also been greatly reduced. Typically it’s around 35 for one day, with 40 to 100 volunteers per shift. This year, it’s 16 sites with only five to ten volunteers at a time…

Last year, a total of 900 volunteers turned out for the cleanup. This year, Belshe says around 550 have registered, with some people also reluctant to participate in the smoky air. It’s going on Wednesday, September 16th, through Sunday, September 27th