Stu News Costa Mesa
Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris and Orange County Coastkeeper hosted a river channel cleanup on Saturday, Jan. 31 at the Santa Ana-Delhi Channel near Upper Newport Bay. Volunteers collected nearly 1,000 pounds of trash ranging from large bulky items to plastic bags, bottles, cigarettes and other micro plastics that would otherwise end up in Upper Newport Bay and along the coastline.
“What ends up in our streets and storm drains doesn’t stay there – it’s swept directly into the fragile ecosystem of Upper Newport Bay,” said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine). “I’m grateful to the volunteers who climbed into the channel, got their hands dirty and removed debris before it could cause real harm. Their work helps protect our wildlife, water quality, and coastline.”
Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris assisting in the Santa Ana-Delhi Channel clean-up project
Orange County waterways collect trash from inland communities via the county’s rivers and storm drains. If not intercepted, the pollution impacts our oceans and shorelines. Community cleanups are one of the best ways for the public to help prevent this debris from polluting the sea and harming marine wildlife. Over the years, hundreds of volunteers have participated in Assemblywoman Petrie-Norris’ beach and channel cleanups helping remove more than 12,300 pounds of debris from the waterway and along the Orange County coast.
This channel cleanup helps prevent debris from entering the fragile Upper Newport Bay ecosystem
By cleaning up the Santa Ana-Delhi Channel, the volunteers helped protect one of California’s few remaining estuaries – Upper Newport Bay. The bay plays a vital role in our marine ecosystem and for local recreational uses.