A week-long project to clean up a Central Coast river collected more than 18 tons of trash.
Heal the Ocean and the nonprofit group Earthcomb partnered to clean up a section of the Santa Ynez River near Lompoc. They received a grant to support the three-week project.
Much of the debris came from homeless encampments in the area. The items collected included 40 large propane tanks, dozens of old tires, and 15 car batteries.
The goal is to remove trash that would pollute the river and the ocean. The two groups have removed more than 83 tons of debris from the river since 2022.
