By Scott Sherman
As part of an expanded effort to clean up the San Diego River, city crews have begun twice-weekly abatements in an aggressive campaign that will remove tons of waste and debris from one of San Diego’s most precious natural resources.
Following cleanup efforts earlier this year that removed more than 66 tons of trash from the riverbed, the city identified problem areas along the river and created a plan to address them on an ongoing basis. So far, crews have already removed more than 10 tons in just three weeks.
A recent abatement focused on the Friars Road underpass in Grantville. It is considered one of the most polluted areas along the river as a result of several homeless encampments. It’s also one of the least accessible sites and required crews to haul trash out of the riverbed via a pulley system due to the harsh terrain.
The city began this expanded waste and abatement effort on Nov. 28. Crews are working in 78 identified locations along the river every Tuesday and Wednesday for the next several months. Some of the identified sites are owned by private property owners or other government agencies. The city is reaching out to each to coordinate cleanup efforts.
Areas in District 7 that are a part of the cleanup efforts include:
- Mission Valley Preserve
- Fashion Valley
- Qualcomm Way
- SDCCU Stadium area
- Grantville
Scott Sherman
The San Diego River was my playground as a child. The sensitive ecosystem helped me develop a strong love for the outdoors that I still cherish today. This massive and ongoing cleanup will help restore the river to a precious natural resource that I remember from my youth.
— San Diego City Councilmember Scott Sherman represents the District 7 neighborhoods of Mission Valley, Grantville, Allied Gardens, Del Cerro and San Carlos.
