After the Rag posted the amounts of trash collected this year the day after July 4th from OB beaches, a couple of readers questioned the amounts collected from Dog Beach. San Diego Surfrider sponsored this year’s “Morning After Mess” clean-up and provided the numbers of trash in pounds.
I did a quick review of some of the trash totals from the last few years and constructed the following chart:
2024
- 120 pounds from around the OB Pier,
- 1,575 pounds of trash at Dog Beach.
2023
- Ocean Beach Pier – 129 lbs
- Ocean Beach Dog Beach – 1925 lbs
2022
- Ocean Beach Pier – 143 lbs
- Ocean Beach Dog Beach – 735 lbs
2021
- Ocean Beach Pier – 223 lbs
- Ocean Beach Dog Beach – 560 lbs
2013
- OB Pier 1,802 lbs trash (combined)
2012
- OB Pier 2,016 lbs. trash (Marshmallow wars still on)
But now we know that “Dog Beach” is considered to be the estuary all the way to I-5, which would not be what most people see as Dog Beach. Dogs aren’t even allowed anywhere near that close to I-5.
I ride the path from Pacific Hwy into OB 4 days a week. Believe me, they did not clean that part of the estuary. (Though there was clean up going on that afternoon under the 5, so that’s good.)
In fact, saw a rubbish fire (probably rubbish. Hopefully rubbish.) on my way in Monday morning. It was in the sand dunes just across from Robb Field. Sigh.
Sorry. Meant to say that there was clean up happening the afternoon of July 8. Lots and lots of trash around Pac. Hwy and under the 5 the morning of the 8th. Clearly no clean up at that point.
Rather than concentrate on the ignoramuses that trashed the beach, I’d
thank the kind people that cleaned up others mess.
I appreciate your clean up efforts.
Is your comment on the correct article?
Good side of covid. Much less trash on the beach
My neighbor in South Mission Beach, Cathy Ives, goes out nightly at 3 am with her wagon, and walks the beaches collecting trash and other items left behind by visitors to the beaches. Every night she returns with hundreds of items. I have to believe that it comes from people visiting the beaches from other areas of the City or outside of the City. This has gone on for many years, even decades. My question is why this happens at the San Diego beaches? My guess that I will throw out there is, an absence of leadership in the City from either the mayor or the council. No one seems to have a sense of pride and ownership in part because they are so commercialized and the understanding that there will not be consequences of leaving their trash and stuff. Does not happen in Maui with many locals who come to the beaches every day. Our mayor shows up for every LGBTQ event (pictured regularly in the UT), which I support. But, how often does Gloria or any City official show up at the beaches except for a political event. If anything Campbell stabbed Mission Beach in the heart.