Police department leads community effort to clean the Susan River
Sponsored by the Susanville Police Department with the assistance by personnel from a number of city and county agencies, heavy equipment operators as well as a number of community volunteers, a large amount of trash was picked up and disposed of from the banks of the Susan River last week.
A throng of workers braving cool and rainy weather gathered in the parking lot at Pat Murphy Field near the River Trail at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 29 to begin the operation.
SPD Captain Ryan Cochran divided participants into small groups, each accompanied by a Susanville Police officer, as they spread out along the river to collect the trash and garbage.
According to a statement from the SPD, participants collected a large amount of garbage — including plastic, mattresses, cardboard, items of clothing, propane tanks, plastic bins, carpet and many shopping carts the stores were asked to reclaim.
A few transients living along the river even cleaned up their own campsites.
“The event was a huge success thanks to all the volunteers who showed up in the rain and cold weather to help out,” according to the statement. “In a five-hour period, we took more than 60 yards of trash off the river and picked up more than 30 syringes.”
The statement praised the city and county employees and the residents who volunteered for what is hoped will become an annual event.
“This event could not have been so successful without the help of the following organizations and businesses: the Susanville Fire Department, Susanville Public Works, the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office, the Lassen County Health Department, C&S Waste Management, Impact Construction, Cross Freedom Custom Apparel, Diamond Mountain Casino, SEMSA, Banner Lassen (Medical Center) and the Lassen Regional Solid Waste Management Authority,” according to the statement.
