Creek to Bay Cleanup 2026 | One of the largest Earth Week cleanups in San Diego County

The event starts at 9 a.m. and wraps up at 12 p.m. There are more than 100 cleanup sites around San Diego County.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — I Love A Clean San Diego’s Creek to Bay Cleanup is an annual countywide event and this year the cleanup will be held Saturday, April 25, 2026. 

The event starts at 9 a.m. and wraps up at 12 p.m. There are more than 100 cleanup sites around San Diego County. 

If you’re interested in volunteering, click here to sign up.

2025 Creek to Bay Cleanup recap

Crews cleaned up and removed more than 64,000 pounds of litter and debris Saturday, April 26, 2025. The Creek to Bay Cleanup is one of the largest single-day environmental action events in San Diego County. Three thousand volunteers worked together to pick up trash and debris at sites across San Diego County.

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2024 Creek to Bay Cleanup recap 

Did you know that 80% of all pollution in the ocean begins inland? When litter enters our local watersheds, it flows into the Pacific Ocean and becomes a threat to the health of wildlife and residents. That’s why CBS 8 joined forces with I Love a Clean San Diego for the Creek to Bay Cleanup, which was held Saturday, April 20, 2024. 

During the 22nd Annual Creek to Bay Clean Up about 5,000 volunteers picked up litter and debris at more than 100 sites across the county.

To learn more, go to cleansd.org/creektobay

2023 Creek to Bay Cleanup recap 

“So many cigarette butts, that’s crazy!” said Jess Culpepper, who was with her son while picking up litter in San Diego.

They joined more than 5,000 volunteers in April 2023 who were also picking up trash at over 100 sites across San Diego County, including Southcrest Community Park, for the 21st annual Creek to Bay Clean Up event.

Volunteers collected more than 57,269 pounds of litter and debris in the hopes that their efforts would create a cleaner environment.

The non-profit I Love A Clean San Diego put the event together.

CBS 8 was a proud partner in 2023 and supporter of the event. CBS 8’s own Shawn Styles and Evan Noorani emceed the kickoff.

2022 Creek to Bay Cleanup recap 

April 23, 2022 marked the 20th anniversary of the Creek to Bay Clean-Up. The non-profit, I Love a Clean San Diego, mobilized 5,000 volunteers in 75 sites from the border to Oceanside. 

While you would think the bulk of the clean-ups would take place near the beach, the event kicked off in Gompers Park in East San Diego.

“We see litter on the beach, we immediately think action. But unfortunately, all that litter on the beach typically comes from the inland areas,” says Steve Morris of I Love a Clean San Diego, “It flows down from the creeks, into the storm drains, out to the rivers.” 

The 5,000 volunteers helped removed over 74,000 pounds of litter and debris from streets, canyons, parks and the coastline in communities from 75 sites around San Diego County.

Remarkable Stats from 2022 event:

Over 3,700 pounds of recyclingOver 56,000 pounds of trashOver 13,000 pounds of green waste.Over 51,000 cigarette butts and e-cigarettes501 Thank Yous to volunteers

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