A collaborative region-wide watershed cleanup effort.
September 20, 2025
15+ partner organizations. 20+ cleanup sites to choose from. Join in the action to help save our watershed!
Info about 2026 Great Sierra River Cleanup coming soon!
About the Great Sierra River Cleanup
Join Sierra Nevada Alliance and our host sites throughout the Sierra Nevada for the Great Sierra River Cleanup (GSRC) on Saturday, September 20th, 2025, OR any September clean-up can report data and contribute to the statewide event!
GSRC is a Sierra-wide watershed cleanup event coordinated by Sierra Nevada Alliance in collaboration with California’s Coastal Cleanup Day.
In 2024, 46,201 volunteers removed 398,654 pounds (199 tons) of trash from the Sierra Nevada waterways and across the state’s entire coastline. Check out the 2024 Final Report for more details on last year’s event. We’re looking to expand our efforts in 2025 to make an even greater impact.
You can be part of the solution and volunteer to help remove litter and plastic pollution from our beloved Sierra Nevada watershed!
The Great Sierra River Cleanup (GSRC) is one of many California Coastal Cleanup Day events. Previously hosted by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, the Sierra Nevada Alliance is very excited to take the reigns as the GSRC coordinator, and to continue the statewide effort to reduce plastic pollution and litter in and around our Sierra waterways.
History of Coastal Cleanup Day
The idea for a statewide cleanup was started by Oregon resident Judy Neilson in 1984. Judy organized the “Plague of Plastics” event in October of that year due to rising concerns over the amount of plastic debris along the coast. In 1985, California emulated those efforts and created the California Coastal Cleanup Day, led by the Coastal Cleanup Commission.
In 1993, California Coastal Cleanup Day was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the “largest garbage collection” ever organized, with 50,405 volunteers. Since then, the reach of Coastal Cleanup Day has spread inland, as most of the marine debris that we find on our beaches actually starts as urban trash or street litter.
For more information on California Coastal Cleanup Day, visit the Coastal Cleanup Commission’s page.
Sobre la Gran Limpieza del Río Sierra
Únete a Sierra Nevada Alliance y a nuestros sitios anfitriones en toda la Sierra Nevada para la Great Sierra River Cleanup (GSRC) el sábado 20 de septiembre de 2025, ¡O bien cualquier limpieza realizada en septiembre puede reportar sus datos y contribuir al evento a nivel estatal!
La GSRC es un evento de limpieza de cuencas a lo largo de toda la Sierra, coordinado por Sierra Nevada Alliance en colaboración con el California ‘s Coastal Cleanup Day.
En 2024, 46,201 voluntarios eliminaron 398,654 libras (199 toneladas) de basura de los cuerpos de agua de la Sierra Nevada y de toda la costa del estado. Consulta el 2024 Final Report para más detalles sobre el evento del año pasado. ¡Esperamos ampliar nuestros esfuerzos en 2025 para lograr un impacto aún mayor!
Tú puedes ser parte de la solución y ofrecerte como voluntario para ayudar a eliminar la basura y la contaminación plástica de nuestra querida cuenca hidrográfica de la Sierra Nevada.
La Great Sierra River Cleanup (GSRC) es uno de los muchos eventos del California Coastal Cleanup Day. Anteriormente organizada por la Sierra Nevada Conservancy, ahora Sierra Nevada Alliance está muy emocionada de asumir el liderazgo como coordinadora de la GSRC, y de continuar con el esfuerzo estatal para reducir la contaminación por plásticos y la basura en y alrededor de nuestras vías fluviales en la Sierra.
Find A Cleanup Site
Info about 2026 Great Sierra River Cleanup coming soon!
Info about 2026 Great Sierra River Cleanup coming soon!
Data Collection
Volunteer Forms
Coordinators can choose between using the CleanSwell App or a physical data form. We recommend sticking to one method for your cleanup.
- CleanSwell app
- Volunteer Data Form – Linked on Supply Storefront or can print out yourself: English Form and Spanish Form
Site Captain Forms
Site Captains must total the amounts onto their forms and submit this information back to SNA.
- Site Captain Summary Sheet – REPORT INFORMATION TO SNA ON SEPTEMBER 20th BY 1:00PM
- Site Captain Data Form – REPORT INFORMATION TO SNA BY OCTOBER 15
- SNA GSRC Summary Sheet
Water Pollution Science
Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean – Jambeck et al, sciencemag.org
The Cost To West Coast Communities Of Dealing With Trash, Reducing Marine Debris – Kier Associates for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9
Life in the “Plastisphere”: Microbial Communities on Plastic Marine Debris – Erik R. Zettler et al
Valuing Plastics: The Business Case for Measuring, Managing and Disclosing Plastic Use in the Consumer Goods Industry – United Nations Environment Programme
Video: Microplastics in the Sierra Nevada: from peak to pipe – Monica Arienzo, Desert Research Institute
Microplastics in the Lake Tahoe Basin – Desert Research Institute
Event Sponsors
2026 event sponsors are coming soon.
Contact Us
Contact us if you have questions about the event, to learn more about the Great Sierra River Cleanup, or to become a host site at greatsierrarivercleanup@sierranevadaalliance.org.
