Over three weekends in April – Earth Month – thousands of volunteers turned out for the Friends of the Los Angeles River’s 27th Annual Great L.A. River Clean Up: La Gran Limpieza. It is estimated that over 70 tons of trash were pulled from the upper and mid L.A. River by volunteers. The annual clean up is the largest urban river event of its kind in America.

On April 23, 5,000 volunteers participated including some from SoCalGas that were at the Arroyo Seco Confluence location. On Saturday, April 30, 1,500 volunteers focused on the lower L.A. River.

Organizers stated that this year in particular there was an urgent need for the Los Angeles River Clean Up due to the effects of the El Niño that swept through the River, washing more trash than usual from surrounding areas into the channel.

 
There were 15 separate Clean Ups held through Southern California.
The L.A. River is over 50 miles long and stretches from the suburbs of the San Fernando Valley to the ocean in Long Beach. It flows through 14 cities and numerous neighborhoods. Friends of the Los Angeles River is a non profit organization founded in 1986, whose mission (according to its website) is to protect and restore the natural and historic heritage of the Los Angeles River and its riparian habitat through inclusive planning, education and wise stewardship.
For more information, visit www.folar.org.