Wednesday March 5, 2025
CBS News —
A local volunteer group is sounding the alarm about some of the litter they’re finding washing up along creeks and rivers in the Sacramento region.
River City Waterway Alliance (RCWA) shared photos of the more than 19,000 needles they’ve removed from in and around local rivers and creeks. There are so many needles that they’ve decided to hand count them and keep a log.
“Our concern was not necessarily just that we’re finding needles but what other impacts that has on society not just within the camps but downstream because they float they end up everywhere,” said David Ingram with the RCWA.
During winter, the water ebbs and flows, dispersing needles and other trash miles away — sometimes burying the needles in sand and brush.
“You might think you’re in an area by Discovery Park where there are no active camps, there’s no active drug use but little do you know that on that beach could be needles that have flushed down from upstream when the water was higher,” Ingram said.