20th Annual Down the River Cleanup

How clean can a river get? Let’s find out!

Date: September 10, 2023

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This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy floating down the Clackamas River while also joining your community in removing litter and debris that accumulate over the busy summer season.

Organized by the Clackamas River Basin Council and We Love Clean Rivers, this fun event typically brings over 200 volunteers to a section of the Clackamas River between Estacada and Oregon City.

More than a decade ago, an “explosion of trash” on the river was the impetus for the event. Trash on the river threatens not only the river’s scenic beauty, but it also harms fish and wildlife and impairs drinking water quality. With the help of volunteers, since 2003 more than 40 tons of trash has been removed from the river!

Information about the 2023 Down the River Cleanup:

This annual trash sweep at the end of summer covers a 22-mile stretch of the Clackamas River from Estacada to the confluence with the Willamette River in Oregon City.
The Clackamas Down the River Cleanup is the largest and longest-running on-water cleanup event of its kind in Oregon.
Each year an average of 200 volunteers rally together in rafts, kayaks, SCUBA gear, drift boats and any other safe vessel to scour the stream bed and banks for trash, collecting an average of 2 tons with over half recycled.
Since 2003, over 40 tons of garbage — well over the approximate weight of one gray whale — has been removed from the Clackamas River by more than 4,500 volunteers. We wrap up the day with a free BBQ for all volunteers, complete with music, a raffle, and a silent auction.