Volunteers gather at the 2023 World Environment Day event. Photo courtesy of Solano Resource Conservation District. Courtesy photo

LAKE SOLANO COUNTY PARK, CA (MPG) - The 14th annual Solano County World Environment Day cleanup begins at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 1 at Lake Solano County Park. The morning promises activities for all participants: trash removal from Lake Berryessa, native vegetation planting, creation of take-home seed packets, and a delicious, free picnic lunch. Registration for the event is required and can be completed at cleanupsolano.org. Everyone who registers by May 30th will also receive a free World Environment Day event t-shirt.

The Putah Creek watershed, including Lake Berryessa and Lake Solano, is one of the most essential water systems for our County,” says Drew Gantner, Supervising Water Resources Specialist for Solano County Water Agency. “This watershed not only provides Solano County with high quality drinking and irrigation water, but it also provides a beautiful place for recreational opportunities.  Taking good care of it is important for everyone who uses the water. Careless discards of trash degrade water quality, harm fish and wildlife, impact water system functionality and create hazards to boaters and recreators.”  Nailah Souder, Environmental Manager at Anheuser-Busch in Fairfield adds, “We hope everyone will join us in volunteering at the June 1st Lake Berryessa Cleanup to help care for the natural resources we all rely on.”

World Environment Day builds global awareness of the environment, draws political attention to environmental issues, and supports individual and community projects. Lake Berryessa is the seventh largest reservoir in California. It delivers high quality drinking water to around 500,000 Solano County residents. Lake Berryessa is also the primary source of irrigation water for regional growers and companies like Anheuser-Busch and the Jelly Belly Factory. Lake Berryessa was created by damming Putah Creek. Making sure the creek receives enough water to maintain its vital ecological link between the neighboring mountain range and the Yolo Bypass is an important part of this constructed water system.

Solano Resource Conservation District coordinates the annual World Environment Day event in partnership with Solano County Water Agency, Anheuser-Busch in Fairfield, Solano County, Lake Berryessa Watershed Partnership, and Volunteer Solano/CVNL. Additional support for this year’s event is being provided by Solano County Parks, Putah Creek Council, and US Bureau of Reclamation. To learn more about these and other Solano County cleanup activities, including Solano County Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 21, please visit cleanupsolano.org.