{"id":139279,"date":"2026-05-15T10:27:49","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T10:27:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/2026\/05\/15\/la-san-gabriel-rivers-to-get-garbage-interceptors-to-protect-ocean-2\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T10:59:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T10:59:13","slug":"la-san-gabriel-rivers-to-get-garbage-interceptors-to-protect-ocean-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/2026\/05\/15\/la-san-gabriel-rivers-to-get-garbage-interceptors-to-protect-ocean-2\/","title":{"rendered":"LA, San Gabriel rivers to get ‘garbage interceptors’ to protect ocean"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n<\/p>\n

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The rivers that flow through Los Angeles County have a bad reputation. Literally. <\/p>\n

In many parts, you’d be hard-pressed to walk along the San Gabriel or Los Angeles rivers without encountering abandoned water bottles, candy wrappers, golf balls, sad-looking teddy bears, even shopping carts.<\/p>\n

On the rare occasion that rain falls in the semi-arid region, it washes away all that debris into coastal communities where it flows \u2013 and out into the Pacific Ocean, wreaking havoc on an ecosystem where fish, sea lions and surfers frolic.<\/p>\n

By the 2028 Olympics, a coalition of cities, counties, states and private partners hope to change that by deploying trash-intercepting devices in the Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers, officials announced Wednesday. <\/p>\n

The plan aims to prevent hundreds of tons of waste from entering the ocean.<\/p>\n

“It’s almost a dream property for me,” Seal Beach City Council member Joe Kalmik said at a news conference.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/picture>\n
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Seal Beach City Council member Joe Kalmyk speaks at a media briefing on plans to install trash interceptors in the San Gabriel and Los Angeles rivers.<\/p>\n

(Alan J. Schaben\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

Having lived in the beach town for more than 50 years, he wondered why nothing could be done about the trash washed down the San Gabriel River.<\/p>\n

“The problem always seemed too big and the solution out of reach,” he said. “I felt like Don Quixote.”<\/p>\n

Then, about three years ago, he read an article about Ocean Cleanup, a Netherlands-based nonprofit that develops and deploys trash interceptors around the world. He reached out, but they were busy trying to clean up the Amazon River.<\/p>\n

A few months later, he saw another story in The Times about an Ocean Cleanup-helmed interceptor installed in Ballona Creek between Playa del Rey and Marina del Rey.<\/p>\n

\n
\"January <\/picture>\n
\n

A trash interceptor built by Ocean Cleanup was installed in Ballona Creek in 2022. <\/p>\n

(Christina House\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

Inspired to act, she began reaching out to other elected officials and officials, including Assemblymember Dianne Dixon, a Republican who represents a portion of coastal Orange County. He then created the San Gabriel River Working Group.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to today, feasibility studies for the San Gabriel and Los Angeles River projects have been completed, and the ocean cleanup is on board. <\/p>\n

Officials called it a major milestone, but far from the finish line. Challenges arise, including obtaining permits from multiple government agencies.<\/p>\n

A community of green sea turtles also lives in a brackish area near the mouth of the San Gabriel River \u2013 something many Angelenos don’t know about. As the project progressed, stakeholders stressed the need to protect approximately 100 turtles. <\/p>\n

\n
\"In <\/picture>\n
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In February, Porcupine, a rescued green sea turtle, was released into the San Gabriel River.<\/p>\n

(Josh Barber\/Aquarium of the Pacific)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

Gentle animals often get entangled in litter. Porcupine, a turtle rescued from the river last year, had lost its flipper after the limb was severely compressed by fishing line. <\/p>\n

He was rehabilitated and released by the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, which is currently caring for another turtle trapped in the wreck.<\/p>\n

The 200-plus pound player named Meatloaf suffered a similar flipper injury. This time the aquarium staff is trying to save it.<\/p>\n

“Our veterinary staff is using some amazing treatments to help her recover,” said Cassandra Davis, director of volunteer services for the aquarium. “She basically goes through spa treatments every Tuesday.”<\/p>\n

Although a trash barrier could help the bulky reptiles, officials said it would need to be put in place to prevent harm. <\/p>\n

James Patterson, who oversees ocean cleanup operations in L.A., said the nonprofit is reviewing research by the aquarium and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to guide the plan.<\/p>\n

“These sea turtles are being considered every step of the way,” he said.<\/p>\n

Collecting trash from local rivers sounds great, but how does it work?<\/p>\n

\n
\"James <\/picture>\n
\n

James Patterson, right, operations manager for the Ocean Cleanup, speaks during a media briefing held at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.<\/p>\n

(Alan J. Schaben\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

After the news conference, Patterson led a drive to intercept interceptors operating in Ballona Creek. He is nicknamed 007, although this has no relation to James Bond.<\/p>\n

The interceptor’s role is unclear from the nearby coastal path, where people were biking, walking, and fishing on a perfectly temperate spring day. It looks like a strangely shaped boat, with one arm extending out to one end of the rocky shore.<\/p>\n

But when it rains it comes into action. If rainfall is forecast, divers are called in to place a barrier on the other side of the bay, creating a funnel for the debris.<\/p>\n

As trash flows into the river from Westside communities like Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Venice \u2013 it is captured by a conveyor belt aboard the ship. The material is fed into six compartments located in the center of the interceptor.<\/p>\n

Once they reach their capacity of about 20,000 pounds, a boat tows everything to port and a crane hoists it into the net.<\/p>\n

Officials said that since this interceptor was installed in 2022, it has collected more than 200 tonnes of garbage.<\/p>\n

007 represents only one model; According to Patterson, each river is different and requires a unique system.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Thumper <\/picture>\n
\n

Thumper and Finn play among the trash on a sandbar in the San Gabriel River.<\/p>\n

(Alan J. Schaben\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

“One of the challenges with the L.A. River and the San Gabriel River is the large amount of trash flowing down it,” he said. “We need a good extraction method that can pull the trash out in a really fast time.” <\/p>\n

Then again, the best design for these rivers may be one that can transfer waste directly to the banks. The nonprofit is now considering it. <\/p>\n

According to public works officials, the upfront cost of each interceptor is estimated at $5 million to $8 million, while ongoing operating costs range from about $3 million to $4 million per year. Los Angeles County will pay for the operation.<\/p>\n

The ambitious completion date is set to coincide with a time when the world’s eyes will be on the Los Angeles area, including its famous beaches. <\/p>\n

Long Beach is set to host several events during the Olympics, including open water swimming, rowing and sailing. Just as sporting events have inspired upgrades to museums and metros, there’s also been an impetus to make sure beaches are camera-ready.<\/p>\n

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said, “We want to make sure we showcase the best of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and that includes a cleaner, healthier, more beautiful beach.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The rivers that flow through Los Angeles County have a bad reputation. Literally. In many parts, you’d be hard-pressed to walk along the San Gabriel or Los Angeles rivers without encountering abandoned water bottles, candy wrappers, golf balls, sad-looking teddy bears, even shopping carts. On the rare occasion that rain falls in the semi-arid region,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":139389,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[11525,19816,22050,4507,127,4206,1850],"class_list":["post-139279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bible-verse","tag-gabriel","tag-garbage","tag-interceptors","tag-ocean","tag-protect","tag-rivers","tag-san"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139279"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139279\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":139393,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139279\/revisions\/139393"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}