For the eighth consecutive year, Clackamas Water Environment Services (WES) is partnering with nonprofit SOLVE to mobilize and educate volunteers to become stewards of our waterways and natural areas.

The 2025 “Summer Waterway Cleanups” series kicked off May 7 at Meldrum Bar Park in Gladstone. A total of 31 volunteers removed 791 pounds of garbage from the 85-acre park, helping to preserve natural vegetation and wetlands that make up 30 percent of the park’s topography.

The collaborative partnership between WES and SOLVE provides volunteers with a firsthand opportunity to learn that what is on the ground can end up in waterways due to stormwater runoff, the leading cause of water pollution in Oregon.

In 2024 alone, more than 1,500 volunteers participated in 61 cleanup events to collect and dispose of 30,000 pounds of litter from our treasured waterways and natural areas. Volunteers who have taken part in the cleanups include students, businesses, community groups, county employees, environmental activists and area residents who want to make a difference in their communities.

WES is proud to partner with organizations and nonprofits like SOLVE engaged in watershed stewardship and water-quality improvement efforts to help protect public health and the environment.

You can find other volunteer and environmental education opportunities provided by WES and partners on our web calendar.