Attention Russian River Watershed Stewards!
Throughout the United States, the week starting on the third Monday of September is recognized as National Pollution Prevention Week. In much of California, including the Russian River watershed, cities, counties, and other stewardship organizations are recognizing the fourth week of September as Creek Week. Every year the RRWA Board makes a Creek Week Proclamation.
September also includes International Coastal Cleanup Day, observed on the third Saturday of September. This global day of action brings together volunteers to remove litter from beaches, waterways, and coastal areas, helping protect aquatic ecosystems and prevent trash from reaching the ocean.
During Creek Week, creek, river, and ocean clean-up campaigns will take place throughout Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. The Russian River watershed consists of over 150 creeks that provide water supply, wildlife habitat, flood capacity, and recreation. Unfortunately, trash and debris accumulation in local waterways impair water quality, wildlife habitat, and, at times, recreation and flood capacity.
Creek Week is a great opportunity to take part in activities that connect you with your community and environmental practices that help protect our creeks!
You can contribute to the health of the Russian River ecosystem by participating in creek and river cleanup events throughout the watershed!
Russian River Watershed Creek Week Clean-Up Events and Activities 2026
Please note: The following information is correct to the best of RRWA’s knowledge; please contact the appropriate hosting agency or organization regularly to confirm meeting times and locations and to sign up. Any updates will be posted to this website as soon as they are received.
CITY OF COTATI
Trash Cleanup at Gravenstein Way entrance to the Laguna
Optional Sign-Up: https://sites.google.com/view/cotati-friends-of-the-laguna?usp=sharing
Details: Sunday, September 20, 2026 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Volunteers should wear protective clothing with long sleeves and pants, sturdy close-toed shoes, hats, sun protection, gardening gloves if they have them, and their own water and snacks.
Habitat Restoration at Pocket Park and Benson Lane
Optional Sign-Up: https://sites.google.com/view/cotati-friends-of-the-laguna?usp=sharing
Details: Sunday, September 20, 2026 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Volunteers should wear protective clothing with long sleeves and pants, sturdy close-toed shoes, hats, sun protection, gardening gloves if they have them, and their own water and snacks.
CITY OF CLOVERDALE PARTNER WITH THE 40th ANNUAL RUSSIAN RIVERKEEPER EVENT
Sign-Up: https://russianriverkeeper.org/rrwcu/
Details: Saturday, September 19, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
CITY OF HEALDSBURG – PARTNER WITH THE 40th ANNUAL RUSSIAN RIVERKEEPER EVENT
Sign-Up: https://russianriverkeeper.org/rrwcu/
Details: Saturday, September 19, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
Sign-Up: See below
Details: Multiple events! See below or visit https://www.srcity.org/2290/Creek-Week-2026
In-person Activities
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- Creek to Coast Cleanup Day
- Saturday, September 19, 2026
- 10 a.m. to noon
- Olive Park Footbridge near 1698 Hazel St.
- REGISTER
- Guided Nature Walk on Colgan Creek Restoration Area
- Sunday, September 20, 2026
- 9 to 11 a.m.
- Meet at corner of Mojave Avenue and Monument Drive in Southwest Santa Rosa (near 3361 Mojave Ave.).
- REGISTER
- Downtown Underground Tour Please complete a separate registration for every member of your party planning to attend. Every attendee, including those under the age of 18, needs a completed liability waiver, which is included in the online registration form.
- Tuesday, September 22, 2026
- 4 – 6 p.m.
- Last entry for tour is 5:45 p.m.
- Prince Gateway Park
- REGISTRATION
- Thursday, September 24, 2026
- 4 – 6 p.m.
- Last entry for tour is 5:45 p.m.
- Prince Gateway Park
- REGISTRATION
- Tuesday, September 22, 2026
- Creek to Coast Cleanup Day
Virtual Creek Week Activities
CITY OF SEBASTOPOL PARTNER WITH THE 40th ANNUAL RUSSIAN RIVERKEEPER EVENT
Sign-Up: https://russianriverkeeper.org/rrwcu/
Details: Saturday, September 19, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
INDEPENDENT CLEANUPS – RUSSIAN RIVERKEEPER
Sign-up: https://russianriverkeeper.org/rrwcu/
Details: Saturday, September 19
Join in the annual tradition of gathering together and showing the river some love by helping us remove the trash and plastic pollution that has been accumulating since our last cleanup. Let’s see if volunteers can do even better than 2025, when they broke all previous records with 520 volunteers who cleaned up 13 tons of trash in a single day! All volunteers get a special commemorative t-shirt, Black Oak Coffee drink coupon, and first 100 to sign up can rsvp for a drink on Russian Riverkeeper at the Russian River Brewing afterparty!
Signups are now open and will fill up fast! Last day to signup is September 15th and 11:59pm.
Choose Your Site:
- Healdsburg Badger Park, check-in at Memorial Beach
- Healdsburg Riverfront Park, check in at Memorial Beach
- Healdsburg Del Rio Woods, Fitch Mountain Area starting at Memorial Beach This event is at capacity
- Healdsburg Syar, Kinley Drive Cleanup
- Forestville Steelhead Beach This event is at capacity
- Forestville Sunset Beach Limited Space
- Forestville Mothers Beach River Access
- Cloverdale Asti Bridge
- Cloverdale First Street Bridge by cemetery
- Geyserville Bridge
- Monte Rio Parks & Recreation District
- Johnson’s Beach, Guerneville Cleanup
- East Windsor Creek Cleanup starting at Exchange Bank
- Hulbert Creek Cleanup Limited Space
- Santa Rosa Creek, starting at Olive Park
- Sebastopol Americorps Trail and Laguna Cleanup
INDEPENDENT CLEANUPS – COASTWALK’S COASTAL CLEANUP
Sign-Up: California Coastal Cleanup Day with Coastwalk
Details: Saturday, September 19, 2026 from 9 a.m. – noon
It’s California’s LARGEST annual volunteer event – an opportunity for people across the state to clean our beaches, creeks, rivers, lakes, and shorelines of all kinds, to help restore our environment. If possible, please bring your own cleanup supplies! They recommend you bring a bag or bucket, some gloves (preferably reusable sturdy ones) and a trash grabber.
Bring water and snacks! They recommend bringing a reusable water bottle to keep plastic waste down. Site Captains will have water to refill your bottle. Our Site Captains will have a few snacks available at the event, like granola bars.
PRIOR TO COASTAL CLEANUP DAY, fill out the Volunteer Signup Form online. https://coastwalk.org/ccd-volunteer/
Have any questions? Feel free to call (707) 829-6689 Ext. 1 or email lindsey@coastwalk.org
MENDOCINO COAST CLEANUP
Sign-Up: www.mendoparks.org/coastal-cleanup
Details: Saturday, September 19, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon
Taking place on the third Saturday of every September, this is the largest one-day volunteer event in the country.
Help protect and enhance California’s coast and ocean for present and future generations by joining this year’s Coastal Clean Up Day. Bring yourself and your friends (along with a bucket)!
2026 Mendocino Coast Cleanup locations:
- Big River Beach
- Van Damme State Beach
- Noyo Harbor Beach
- Virgin Creek Beach
- Navarro State Beach
- Caspar State Beach
- Westport-Union Landing State Beach
- Hare Creek Beach
- Seaside Beach
UKIAH VALLEY RUSSIAN RIVER CLEANUP
Hosted by Mendocino County Resource Conservation District (In partnership with County of Mendocino, City of Ukiah, and Redwood Waste Solutions)
Sign-Up by September 14: https://tinyurl.com/RRCleanup26
Details: Saturday, September 19, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. to Noon
Download English flyer Spanish Flyer
Help keep litter off our streets and out of our creeks, river, and ocean! Join your neighbors, friends, and family at Low Gap Park. Bring a water bottle, sturdy shoes & work gloves. No flip-flops!
The California Coastal Commission has put together an English and Spanish resource on how to participate in Creek Week activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Guidance for Neighborhood Cleanups document can be viewed by clicking here.
Best Management Practices for Handling Sharps
During Cleanup Events
RRWA is pleased to provide the following sharps guidance flyers for cleanup organizers and volunteers. The guidance was compiled from numerous local state and national organizations and reviewed and collectively polished by our regional partners.
For additional information about sharps, visit
ZeroWasteSonoma.gov/materials/sharps-needle or SafeNeedleDisposal.org
RRWA Creek Week Partner / Sponsorships
