Trail Mix for Sept. 23: Tons of waste pulled from Sierra waterways

Thousands of volunteers got their hands dirty Saturday and collectively pulled more than 60 tons of trash and recyclables from waterways across the Sierra Nevada as part of the seventh annual Great Sierra River Cleanup on Sept. 19.

A total of 2,833 volunteers hauled out 127,668 pounds of trash and 7,382 pounds of recyclables from 45 sites that cleaned a total of 126 river miles, according to preliminary figures. The event is in conjunction with Coastal Cleanup Day.

Locally, volunteers pulled out 152 pounds of trash from two sites along the Kings River.

More than 3,000 pounds of junk was collected from multiple sites on the San Joaquin River. Volunteers from the San Joaquin River Parkway Conservation Trust, Stewardship Program and Clovis Boy Scouts Troop 257 combined to clean 16 miles of the river, removing among other items a plastic dinosaur, car fender, crack pipes and old mining machinery.

Anglers eye potential changes – California anglers have mixed reactions on a pair of state government initiatives.

The Fish and Game Commission on Oct. 8 will consider whether to support a switch from calendar-based licensing to one valid for 12 months from date of purchase. Anglers see that as a good move, compared to the current system in which all licenses expire Dec. 31 – no matter when they’re bought.

The commission doesn’t have the authority to change the licensing system, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported, but may offer its support to legislative action. The California Sportfishing League-sponsored Senate Bill 345, authored by Tom Berryhill, R-Twain Harte, includes the licensing provision.

But the Sportfishing League is battling another state agency – the California Department of Toxic Substances – over a possible ban on lead-based fishing tackle. That means sinkers, split shots, jigs and some lures. In April, fishing tackle was placed on a list of seven consumer products the agency had identified as containing dangerous chemicals that pose a significant risk to the public or environment.

B’days at Sequoia, Kings Canyon – Sequoia National Park will celebrate its 125th anniversary and neighbor Kings Canyon its 75 years by offering visitors free entrance Friday and Saturday and a weekend full of activities.

There will be a 10 a.m. ceremony Saturday at the General Sherman Tree area at Sequoia, where speakers will share highlights of the park’s history. Also on the agenda: An exhibit on sequoias in drought, guided hikes to the top of Moro Rock, music and a barbecue lunch.

For more details, call 559-565-3341 or visit nps.gov/seki.

Public Lands Day – Visit a national park and other federal lands for free and volunteer to help with tree plantings, cleanup and other initiatives as part of National Public Lands Day on Saturday.

It is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands, with fee-free entrance to national parks and other federally managed lands (including those under the control of the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).

Volunteer sites can be found at publiclandsday.org.

Smokey Bear Run – The Valley Runner of the Year Series gets back in gear with its most scenic event, scheduled for Saturday at Bass Lake. Runs of 2 miles and 10 kilometers begin at Recreation Point and follow Road 222 along the south shore before doubling back.

The 10k (8:30 a.m.) is worth 20 series points. Check-in begins at 6:45. Adult registration is $35. Dress appropriately for the 3,300-foot elevation. Details are available at smokeybearrun.com.

Music with altitude – Half Dome is known as the icon of Yosemite National Park, but now the 4,700-foot granite dome also is the star of a music video of the same name.

Chillwave artist Toro y Moi, whose real name is Chaz Bundick, released his video titled “Half Dome” on Friday. The inspiration came after Bundick met R. Adam Prieto, a photographer and fan, on a hike up Half Dome. Bundick then asked Prieto to direct the clip. Check it out on YouTube by searching Toro Y Moi – “Half Dome.”

This story was originally published September 23, 2015 at 6:53 PM with the headline "Trail Mix for Sept. 23: Tons of waste pulled from Sierra waterways."