WES-SOLVE Summer Waterway Cleanups Series Partnership
2021 NACo Achievement Award Winner
Clackamas County, Ore., OR
Best In Category
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About the Program
Category: Volunteers (Best in Category)
Year: 2021
Beginning in May 2018, Clackamas Water Environment Services (WES) began partnering with the nonprofit SOLVE in a series of volunteer-driven Summer Waterway Cleanups to keep area streams, rivers and communities clean and healthy. In addition to removing thousands of pounds of trash each year from natural areas throughout the county, thousands of volunteers learn how objects on the ground can up in rivers and streams if not removed due to urban stormwater runoff, the leading cause of water pollution in Oregon. WES supports organizations like SOLVE that are engaged in watershed stewardship and water-quality improvement efforts to help protect public health and the environment. SOLVE helps WES manage the Summer Waterway Cleanups and mobilize and train volunteers of all ages to clean and restore neighborhoods and natural areas, and to build a sustainable legacy of environmental stewardship.Volunteers include members of community groups, schools, the business community, county employees, city employees, environmental groups and a wide array of residents from within the WES Service area, which helps create fruitful partnerships that benefit the entire region.The WES-SOLVE partnership is a perfect match as both agencies share a mission to build a legacy of environmental stewardship while educating volunteers about watershed health and water quality protection.