Volunteers Help Sweep San Diego Bay Clean

Monday, 30 August 2010
Contact: Dale Frost (619) 686-6461

Nearly 900 volunteers removed more than eight tons of debris and junk from the shores and bottom of San Diego Bay on August 28 during the 20^th annual Operation Clean Sweep.

While shoreside volunteers collected debris that accumulated along the National City waterfront and Paradise Creek Marsh, U.S. Navy Divers and divers from the California Professional Divers Association cleaned the former A-8 anchorage in the southern part of San Diego Bay near the Sweetwater Channel.

Operation Clean Sweep Celebrates 20 Years of Cleaning San Diego Bay

Thursday, 26 August 2010
Contact: Marguerite Elicone (619) 686-6222

It takes a lot of junk to fill ten 40-yard dumpsters. That's the average amount of debris collected each year from San Diego Bay and its surrounding tidelands after each annual Operation Clean Sweep event.

This Saturday, August 28, 2010, hundreds of volunteers will descend upon San Diego Bay and the tidelands to fill even more of those dumpsters in the 20th Annual Operation Clean Sweep event. The main shore side clean up begins at 8 a.m. at Paradise Creek Marsh (map) near the Pier 32 Marina in National City. Volunteers can check in at the marina, located at 3201 Marina Way in National City. Another shore side cleanup will take place at the National City Marine Terminal and Pepper Park in National City. The Pepper Park area is ideal for families with young children.

Video recap of Operation Clean Sweep 2009

Boating Community Discusses Hull Cleaning Practices

Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Contact: Ronald W. Powell (619) 400-4789, (619) 665-2815; Barbara J. Moreno (619) 686-6216

Members of San Diego's boating and diving community converged Tuesday night August 24, 2010 in Chula Vista to discuss the thorny issue of how best to keep recreational boat hulls clean without causing copper levels to rise in San Diego Bay.

Copper, a metal that is harmful to the marine environment, is introduced into the bay by many sources, including urban runoff, particularly the residue from copper brake pads on autos. But a percentage of copper pollution is caused by improper boat hull cleaning as divers remove marine organisms -- including tube worms and barnacles -- from boat hulls coated with copper-based paint.

Boating Community Offers Input For Hull Cleaning Activities in San Diego Bay

Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Contact: John Gilmore (619) 341-5684, (619) 686-7206

Members of the boating community, including divers and marina operators, shared their insights and concerns during a public meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010, over how best to reduce the amount of copper in San Diego Bay.

Public Input Sought on San Diego Bay Hull Cleaning Process

Thursday, 05 August 2010
Contact: Barbara Moreno (619) 686-6216

The Port of San Diego is inviting members of the public and the boating community to attend an informational gathering session that will help develop universal standards — or best management practices — for underwater hull cleaning and maintenance.

•  Hull Cleaning Public Meeting Invite (950.31 kB)