BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Government Code § 84308 Applies: Yes ☐ No ☒
(If “YES” Complete Attachment A - Gov. Code § 84308)
SUBJECT:
Title
Adopt a Resolution Declaring May 17, 2025, as National River Cleanup Day in Santa Clara County.
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Adopt the Resolution DECLARING MAY 17, 2025, AS NATIONAL RIVER CLEANUP DAY IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY.
Body
SUMMARY:
Trash in and along creeks and waterways significantly impacts stream water quality and contributes to potential flood risks in Santa Clara County. Santa Clara Valley Water District’s (Valley Water) Creek Stewardship Program allows community members to take an active role in protecting our local waterways through volunteerism. The Creek Stewardship Program provides cleanup opportunities through the year-round Adopt-A-Creek Program and single-day countywide creek cleanup events.
To implement the countywide creek cleanups, Valley Water participates in a consortium of Santa Clara County public agencies, known as the Creek Connections Action Group (CCAG), which was established in 1995. In addition to Valley Water, members of the CCAG include the cities of San Jose, Milpitas, Palo Alto, Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Cupertino, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara, as well as Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department and the West Valley Stormwater Program Authority. Valley Water serves as the Chair and provides countywide coordination, outreach, and supplies for volunteers, such as gloves, trash bags, and litter sticks. In 2024, the CCAG coordinated two (2) countywide cleanup events that leveraged nearly 5,000 total volunteer hours to remove approximately 50,000 pounds of litter from over 120 miles of waterways and natural spaces in Santa Clara County.
The first National River Cleanup Day in Santa Clara County was organized in 1995 by the CCAG. National River Cleanup Day continues to serve as an opportunity to partner with local cities, nonprofits, and various community groups to raise pollution prevention awareness and organize volunteers to help remove trash from the County’s waterways. This year, Valley Water and the CCAG will encourage the community to participate in organized group cleanups throughout Santa Clara County. Valley Water and the CCAG will host a training and supply pick-up for group organizers.
The Creek Stewardship Program, including National River Cleanup Day activities, is partially funded by the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program's Project B4: Support Volunteer Cleanup Activities, approved by voters in November 2020.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY IMPACT:
National River Cleanup Day addresses environmental stewardship by providing creek cleanups throughout Santa Clara County, including in disadvantaged communities. Community outreach efforts for National River Cleanup Day were made in multiple languages to engage and include constituents with Limited English Proficiency. This included newspaper ads in Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The Creek Stewardship Project, Project No. 00061019, has $25,000 in the FY 2024-25 Adopted Budget for services and supplies to support this event No additional funding is requested.
CEQA:
The recommended action is exempt from CEQA under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Existing Facilities). Valley Water prepared a Notice of Exemption covering various creek clean-up activities within Valley Water right-of-way, filed with the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder’s Office on March 16, 2022.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Resolution
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Rachael Gibson, (408) 630-2884