In Memory of My Beautiful Mother

I grew up fly-fishing near Sierra City with my grandfather who taught me to "Leave No Trace", even if that meant packing out trash left by others. I casually and happily lived that lifestyle for many years. But about 4 years ago something drastically changed - I discovered the terribly trashed waterways of Sacramento that flowed unfiltered into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, San Francisco Bay and beyond. I was horrified.

In 2021, I teamed up with like-minded folks to remove 125,000 lbs of trash from local waterways. In 2022, that skyrocketed to more 670,000. Despite these accomplishments, we felt things were moving too slowly and that conditions in Sacramento waterways needed more attention and advocacy. Thus, on Jan 13, 2023, we launched River City Waterway Alliance (RCWA). In just 27 months, RCWA volunteers have now removed a staggering 2.8 million lbs of trash from Sacramento area waterways, including over 22,000 syringes, over 5,500 lbs of batteries, 1,292 shopping carts, 1,247 tires and so much more.

Sadly, there is much work left to be done.

I am now on the Board of Directors of the Sacramento Area Creeks Council (SACC). SACC aims to preserve, protect, restore and maintain the natural streams in our urban communities through education, advocacy, financial support and technical expertise.  

SACC is an all-volunteer, 501 (c) (3) nonprofit that raises funds and supports groups like RCWA. Donations to SACC directly support the purchase of tools, event supplies, volunteer refreshments, and fuel. All donations are leveraged by donations from other individuals, grants, and in-kind support from public agencies and the thousands of hours donated by local volunteers to protect and restore Sacramento’s waterways.

Please give during the donation window, now through May 1, 2025. The minimum gift is $10, but even small donations can make a big difference. Contributions are tax deductible. Federal ID # 26-3676166.

Thank you very much for your support.