Creeks rank among dirtiest waterways

Colma Creek in South San Francisco ranked fourth among the 10 dirtiest waterways in the Bay Area, according to a report released Wednesday by Save the Bay.

The report was released in anticipation of Saturday’s Coastal Cleanup Day by the 40-year-old organization focused on cleaning and preserving the bay. Save The Bay identified 23 of the worst trash hot spots around San Francisco Bay. The top 10 include Cerrito Creek in El Cerrito, Coyote Creek in San Jose, Saratoga Creek, Colma Creek, Guadalupe River in San Jose, Rindler Creek in Vallejo, Baxter Creek near El Cerrito and Richmond, Sausal Creek in Oakland, Damon Slough in Oakland and Strawberry Creek in Berkeley. San Mateo Creek in San Mateo ranked 17 on the list.

Colma Creek flows from San Bruno Mountain through industrial South San Francisco into the Bay near San Francisco International Airport. San Mateo Creek runs from Crystal Springs Reservoir through Hillsborough and San Mateo to the Bay. Dumping and storm water runoff account for much of the trash in the San Mateo Creek, according to the report.

Colma Creek was on the list last year. San Mateo Creek was not.

"We need to act now to stop trash from polluting the Bay and killing its wildlife. This is a problem we can no longer ignore. We need all residents to take action, like volunteering on Coastal Cleanup Day, but cities and counties should be doing much more to solve the trash problem,” Save The Bay Executive Director David Lewis said in a press release yesterday.

Coastal Cleanup Day is sponsored by the San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program and California Coastal Commission. Volunteers will clear cigarette butts, cans, bottles, plastic bags, grocery carts, old tires and other debris from local creeks, the coast and the Bay.

Last year, more than 2,000 volunteers in San Mateo County removed 19,983 pounds of trash and 4,050 pounds of recyclables. Statewide, more than 60,000 volunteers hauled off nearly 1 million pounds of trash and recyclables that would otherwise soil the state and threaten the health of wildlife, according to the San Mateo County Environmental Health Agency.

Wildlife can become entangled in trash or ingest it, often to the point that their stomachs are completely blocked and the animals starve.

For information about the Bay Area hot spots visit www.saveSFbay.org/baytrash.

Dana Yates can be reached by e-mail: dana@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106.

Where you can help:

Belmont

Belmont Creek: Meet at Twin Pines Park, City Hall area.

Brisbane

* Brisbane Lagoon: Meet at Fisherman’s Park.

Burlingame

Burlingame bayfront: Meet at Embassy Suites, 150 Anza Blvd.

East Palo Alto

San Francisquito Creek: Meet on the corner of Manhattan Avenue and Woodland Road.

Millbrae

Mills Creek: Meet at El Torito Restaurant parking lot, 1590 Old Bayshore Highway.

Redwood City

• Cordilleras, Pulgas and Brittain creeks: Meet in front of Redwood High School, 1968 Old County Road.

• Redwood Creek: Meet at Public Works Services, 1400 Broadway, at the corner of Woodside Road and Broadway. Breakfast will be provided at 8:30 a.m. and a barbecue at noon for all participants.

San Mateo

• Laurel Creek: 8:30 a.m. to noon, meet at Casanova Park.

• San Mateo Bayfront and San Mateo Creek: 7:30 a.m. to noon. Meet at Ryder Park.

• Coyote Point State Park: Meet at Coyote Point Museum, 1651 Coyote Point Drive.

* Post-cleanup picnic for all San Mateo volunteers at Ryder Park.

Daly City

• Thornton State Beach

Half Moon Bay

• Pillar Point

• Roosevelt/Dunes State Beach: Highway 1 to Young Avenue. Meet at the kiosk at the end of the road.

• Poplar State Beach: Located a half-mile west of Highway 1 at the end of Poplar Avenue off Highway 1.

• Francis State Beach: From Highway 1, turn west on Kelly Avenue.

Miramar

Mirada Surf West: Meet at Coronado, Mirada Surf West County Park.

Montara

• Montara State Beach: Meet in the northern parking lot of Montara State Beach.

Pacifica

• Esplanade Beach: Meet at the top of the stairs on the west side of Esplanade Drive.

• Linda Mar Beach/Pacifica State Beach: Meet at the south end of Linda Mar State Beach parking lot near Taco Bell.

• Sharp Park State Beach: Meet at the start of the levee near the picnic tables on Beach Boulevard.

• Rockaway Beach: Meet by Nicks Restaurant.

• San Pedro Creek watershed: Meet at the north end of Pedro Point shopping center just south of Taco Bell.

* Post-cleanup celebration for all Pacifica beach volunteers at Sharp Park State Beach at noon.

Pescadero

• Pescadero State Beach: Meet at the beach’s northern parking lot.

• Pistacio State Beach: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meet at the northwest end of Pigeon Point road at Highway 1.

San Gregorio

• San Gregorio State Beach: Highway 1 at Highway 84.