From Auburn to the Pacific:
Auburn's Connection to the Great Garbage Island

by Linda Desai 

Auburn What could possibly connect Auburn to the Great Garbage Island, over 1,000 miles away in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? Two things: Water and plastic.

Water naturally flows through the watershed to the ocean, carrying sediments and litter, including plastics. From the West Coast of North America to the coasts of Asia and Japan, the waters running off the land carry plastics and other litter that ends up in the Garbage Island located in the central North Pacific Ocean. And Auburn is as connected to it as any other city in California. It' s our challenge to stop the Garbage Island from getting bigger, and we can.

The Great Garbage Island isn't an island, literally. One cannot walk on it; satellites can't detect it. Sailing captain Charles Moore was the first to document its existence when crossing the ocean after a race to Hawaii. He encountered mile after mile of trash, mostly confetti-like fragments of plastic, suspended just below the surface—a slimy, plastic soup. Its volume is now estimated to be 3.5 million tons.

Wind and currents in the Pacific Ocean accumulate and trap ocean debris in this area, which is estimated to be twice the size of Texas. And the patch is growing tenfold each decade. Twenty percent of the floating plastic waste comes from cruise and commercial ships, but 80 percent originates on land and follows waterways into the ocean. These plastics do not biodegrade in the ocean or our waterways. They may get smaller by breaking, but they don' t disappear. Instead they are ingested by marine creatures, deposited on shore, or caught in the Garbage Island. Studies have shown that this area contains six times more plastic than zooplankton—the small organisms at the base of the ocean food chain—and the colorful plastic pieces resemble the zooplankton that filter feeders like jellyfish and scallops eat.

Plastics are also sponges absorbing oil pollutants in the ocean like DDT and PCBs. These pollutants mimic hormones and can disrupt reproduction and development of organisms. Besides these filter feeders, 267 marine species are affected, including 86 percent of sea turtles, 44 percent of seabird species and 43 percent of marine mammal species. Scientists are concerned that the plastic acts as an unnatural transport system, bringing species into waters they don't naturally inhabit. For example, mollusks were found clinging to plastic bottles floating in the Garbage Island.   

In August 2009, the Scripps oceanography vessel New Horizon, along with the research vessel Kaisei, sampled over 3,500 miles of the Garbage Island. Every sample had plastic in it. Further study of the marine debris will continue with the ultimate goal of finding a plastic collection system that not only will clean up the marine debris but also will use the plastics it collects to fuel the ship. The use of retired fishing vessels as collectors of plastic is a strategy that Project Kaisei is pursuing.

We all live in a watershed –  a drainage basin where all the water conveyed from the land flows into a waterway. Drainage basins are divided by a geographic barrier like a ridge or hill.  In Auburn, we have several watersheds due to the hilly nature of the foothills. Some Auburnites live in the American River Watershed. Others are in the Auburn Ravine Creek Watershed, and in the northern Auburn area, streams and creeks flow into the Coon Creek Watershed. All the overflow
from stormdrains on the streets or from the land will flow into one of these waterways. Marine debris starts here, at the local watershed.
From these major waterways flowing out of Auburn, the next stop is the Sacramento River, then through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, into San Pablo Bay and finally through the Golden Gate Bridge to the Pacific Ocean. And there's the connection.

Any kind of litter, plastic or chemical (including fertilizers), rubber or aluminum, that flows off the land can leave our watershed and float downstream. Eventually, out to the Pacific Ocean it goes, adding to the Garbage Island.  

Individuals can make a collective difference by learning more about our watersheds and keeping local waterways clean. Many local organizations work towards that end with the public.

For example, the Placer Nature Center (PNC) has a unique exhibit hall dedicated to water resource education. Inside the Watershed Learning Center a 3-D model displays the American River Watershed depicting the South Fork of the American River and the pathway of water from the American River all the way to the Pacific Ocean. This model makes the concept of a watershed understandable for PNC' s visitors. A full compliment of curricula for K-8 students augments the exhibits.

Even the floor itself is an exhibit as visitors “walk on water” as they enter the Learning Center, following its flow from mountain stream to foothill stream to valley river, meeting the ocean as it flows out the door. This mural reveals the changes in substrate and plant and animal species as it flows through elevation changes in the watershed.  

Through programs for school groups, children become aware of their watershed and water conservation. Placer County Water Agency has provided funding for school groups to get these programs for free.
Another point that is realized in understanding the watershed is that whatever flows down a storm drain goes into a waterway –  the same waterway used by wildlife. This water isn' t cleaned before it gets there, so it is important that what goes down a storm drain isn' t polluted by human litter or chemicals. Check the Stormwater Quality Division
of the Placer County Public Works Department website for information for both residents and businesses on healthy, simple habits that can help assure we are part of the solution to stormwater pollution. (Visit www.placer.ca.gov/Departments/Works/StrmWtr.aspx, click “links to residents and business”).

Individual actions count and add up. Start by understanding your watershed and do what you can to keep your water-ways clean. A higher-quality environment supports a higher quality of life. Stopping marine debris in the Great Garbage Island starts at home. 

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