SGR, Storm Water & NPDES

SAN GABRIEL RIVER (SGR) TRASH MITIGATION INITIATIVE


The City of Seal Beach continues to experience undesirable trash levels on its public beach - with most evident contributions from the San Gabriel River outlet to the Pacific Ocean - and intends to evaluate and implement solutions to mitigating this issue through the San Gabriel River Trash Mitigation Initiative, an initiative involving regional partnerships, multiple funding sources, and enhanced cooperation between the country’s first and sixth largest counties.

 In calendar year 2024, 461 tons of trash were collected on the beach, which was up 81 tons from 2023 reports. The San Gabriel River serves as a vital waterway in Southern California, but its outlet continues to be polluted with trash and debris – especially during heavy rain events, posing significant threats to both marine life and human health along the coastline’s public beaches.

Municipalities within the San Gabriel Watershed area include:

  • Arcadia, Artesia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bellflower, Bradbury, Buena Park, Cerritos, Claremont, Covina, Cypress, Diamond Bar, Downey, Duarte, Glendora, Hawaiian Gardens, Industry, Irwindale, La Habra, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, La Palma, La Puente, La Verne, Lakewood, Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Monrovia, Norwalk, Paramount, Pico Rivera, Pomona, West Covina, San Dimas, Santa Fe Springs, Seal Beach, Signal Hill, South El Monte, Walnut, West Covina, Whittier
  • Los Angeles County, Orange County

With a growing Great Pacific Garbage Patch, migrating sea turtles in the San Gabriel River, and waterway beach trash collections of over 400 tons in 2024 alone, the San Gabriel River Trash Mitigation Initiative is critical for the residents of Orange County and Los Angeles County as well as the millions of visitors who access the beach and ocean and support these areas.

The members of the San Gabriel River Trash Mitigation Initiative are working to secure consistent funding to:

  • Assess the extent, distribution, and sources of pollution within the San Gabriel River [and watershed tributaries], including both point and non-point sources of contamination.
  • Develop and implement comprehensive water quality monitoring program to assess the impact of trash debris on water quality parameters.
  • Identify and implement cleanup strategies and technologies suitable for addressing identified pollution sources, as well as assignment of future operations and maintenance elements.
  • Engage key stakeholders, including local communities, government agencies, environmental organizations, and businesses, to gather input and support for the proposed cleanup initiative.

Members of the Initiative include: Seal Beach Council Member Joe Kalmick, Assemblymember Diane Dixon, U.S. Congressman Dave Min, State Senator Lena Gonzalez, State Senator Tony Strickland, Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen, Long Beach Councilwoman Kristina Duggan, Los Angeles County Public Works, Orange County Public Works, Hector De La Torre of Gateway Cities Council of Governments, Surfrider Foundation, California State Coastal Conservancy, Rivers & Mountains Conservancy, and California State University, Long Beach.

If you would like to get involved or learn more about the San Gabriel River Trash Mitigation Initiative, please email: AskCityHall@sealbeachca.gov.

Additionally, the City was proud to partner with Ava Waggoner, Ambassador, Glendora Girl Scout Troop 8574, to help her complete her Girl Scout Gold Award by raising awareness and offering solutions related to SGR Cleanup. To learn more about Ava's project, click here.

STORM AND URBAN RUNOFF


Many residents are not aware that Seal Beach has two drainage systems - the sewers and the storm drains. Sewers carry waste to a sewage treatment plant where the water is cleaned and then reused or deposited into the ocean away from beaches. The storm drain system was designed to solely prevent flooding of City streets by carrying excess rainwater out to the ocean. If pollutants are dumped into the drainage system, they are carried to the ocean.

Much of Seal Beach's run-off drains into the Naval Weapons Base with the remainder split between the Pacific Ocean, Coyote Creek, and the San Gabriel River. The City of Seal Beach would like to remind you not to trash where you splash. During rain events, trash and debris in City streets flows directly to the ocean. Please keep our waterways and oceans clean. For more information, visit the County's website on storm water pollution prevention, h2oc.org

To help preserve the quality of life for our residents, beachgoers, and sea life, the City of Seal Beach has implemented a number of programs to help reduce the amount of pollutants mixing with storm and urban runoff. By implementing these programs, we hope to not only clean up our water, but preserve aquatic life for years to come. Below is a list of some of the City's programs:

  • A Storm Water Pollution Prevention Ordinance is in place.
  • All residential and commercial streets, including City-owned and/or operated parking lots, are included in regularly scheduled street sweeping.
  • Approximately 143 businesses are inspected on an annual basis to ensure they do not contribute to pollution of the ocean.
  • If you see a catch basin that is full, please don't hesitate to call us at (562) 431-2527 x1414.
  • City employees routinely attend training to ensure awareness and use of best practices on construction and maintenance projects.
  • We have implemented an active public outreach and education program.
  • We are now requiring Water Quality Management Plans (WQMP) for all projects. WQMP Guidelines can be viewed here.

HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO!

As a resident or business owner in Seal Beach there are some simple steps you can take to help prevent storm water pollution:

  • Vehicle Maintenance: Keep your vehicles in good running order and perform routine maintenance to prevent leaks from oil and other car fluids. Leaks from vehicles often times are a primary source of pollution in run-off.
  • Spills:  If you experience or encounter a spill, don't hose it into the gutter or storm drains. The best thing to do is clean it up with absorbent materials such as kitty litter. Then simply dispose of the absorbent materials in the trash.
  • Car Washing:  Take your vehicle to a car wash instead of washing at home. If you choose to wash at home, divert the wash water onto your lawn or garden and use a biodegradable, phosphate-free detergent. Using a bucket (not a running hose) to wash and rinse your car conserves water.
  • Recycle Used Oil:  Oil doesn't wear out and can be recycled to use again in engines and other motors, but also has other uses as well. Search here for a used oil recycling center.
  • Household Hazardous Waste:  Please dispose of hydraulic, transmission, and radiator fluids at a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Facility. For information on what household waste can be picked up curbside click here. Never clean paintbrushes or rinse paint containers into a street, gutter, or storm drain.
  • Yard Maintenance:
    • Leaves:  Don't blow or rake leaves into streets, gutters, or storm drains.
    • Fertilizers:  Use organic or non-toxic fertilizers. Don't over fertilize and don't fertilize near ditches, streams, or other bodies of water.
    • Pesticides:  Use non-toxic pesticide alternatives whenever possible. Organic pesticides are a good option.
  • Pet Waste:  Pick up after your pets. All of them.
  • Pool Maintenance:  Make sure your pool is algae free and dechlorinated before pumping to the street. Do not drain salt water pools to the street.