Riverside County’s Whitewater River is a naturally flowing beauty coming down from the San Bernardino Mountains, but the river’s gorgeous aesthetic is being threatened by illegal dumping and litter.
Illegal dumping threatens the visceral beauty of the Whitewater and the ecosystem surrounding it. Dumping larger items like couches and refrigerators along the river does not dispose of them and is incredibly damaging to the watershed. Properly disposing of larger items in designated waste areas greatly benefits the river and the landscape around it.
Litter left in the water negatively affects the recreational experience of visitors and the neighboring communities. Single use plastics such as bottles, straws, bags, and wrappers also have a huge impact and make up the most littered items in the river. These plastics can be recycled and keeping a bag in your car is a good way to collect your plastics for recycling.
Cigarette butts are another major source of litter in the river. Unlike the recyclable plastics, cigarette butts cannot be recycled, but they can be thrown away in bags you bring to stash your trash.
Littering and dumping are some of the biggest threats to the Whitewater River, with plastics and cigarette butts being the most commonly littered items. Bringing your own bags to dispose of your trash is a great way to keep the Whitewater River litter free.
