Dry Creek volunteers: 12 years, 130 cleanups and more than 6,500 volunteers

Organizers of local river and trail cleanups said grassroots efforts have grown into large, sustained programs that regularly partner with the city.

Darren Jesp, representing the Dry Creek Trails Coalition, described starting with small actions and building relationships with city and county staff; the coalition now redirects volunteer crews to priority sites identified with staff. "We started building partnerships and...we connected, worked, and we started doing our cleanups together," Jesp said, describing years of incremental growth.

Chris Cup, representing Operation 999, said those continuing efforts have yielded measurable scale: "We're in our 12th year, done 130 cleanups, got over 6,500 volunteers over that time," he said. Organizers said these projects reintroduce residents to riverfront spaces and are part of a broader effort to make Modesto a "river town." Volunteers urged residents to join events, and staff pointed to Love Modesto and city drop-off events as ways to participate.

Organizers said consistent volunteer schedules, partnerships with city staff and clear logistics (trash hauling, safety) were keys to success. They encouraged residents to attend organized cleanups rather than leave material roadside, which can attract further dumping.