On September 26, 2026, Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful mobilized 575 volunteers to sweep 26 cleanup sites along the Truckee River, raking up 120,125 pounds of trash, green waste and invasive weeds in a single morning.
The haul broke down into 9,095 pounds of litter, 46,710 pounds of green waste and 64,320 pounds of invasive species—of which 2,500 pounds were plucked directly from the river’s surface.
Beyond trash, volunteers planted seven native trees, 171 other plants, spread 115 yards of mulch and stenciled 201 storm drains to block future pollution.
KTMB has been coordinating the event since 2004; last year’s volunteers removed nearly 25 tons of waste, making this year’s haul a record in both scale and scope.
One volunteer who has joined the cleanup for the past decade said the river feels noticeably cleaner, adding that the work gives his community a sense of ownership over the local environment.
The newly planted vegetation and mulched beds are expected to stabilize riverbanks during the upcoming wet season, helping prevent erosion before the next annual cleanup.