Beach & Riverside Cleanup In The Willamette Valley & Central Oregon: Local Volunteer Events Invite Community Action (Photo) - 09/10/26
Portland, Ore., September 10, 2026 – SOLVE’s annual Beach & Riverside Cleanup is bringing volunteers together across Oregon and Southwest Washington from September 18–27, with nearly 100 volunteer opportunities to clean up and care for local beaches, waterways, parks and community spaces.
In the Willamette Valley and surrounding Cascade communities, Beach & Riverside Cleanup will give volunteers opportunities to care for waterways, public lands, parks and trails. From preventing litter from reaching Salem’s waterways to cleaning lakes in the Breitenbush Cascades and restoring trails for mountain bikers, local projects offer a range of ways to get involved this September.
Featured Beach & Riverside Cleanup Events in the Willamette Valley & Central Oregon
Clean Streams National Cleanup Day Event
Salem | September 19, 10 am–12 pm
The City of Salem’s Clean Streams Team will bring volunteers together at Cascades Gateway Park to remove litter before it can flow into Walter Wirth Lake and Mill Creek. The cleanup is part of National Cleanup Day and SOLVE’s annual Beach & Riverside Cleanup.
Disciples of Dirt Mountain Biking Trail Maintenance – Teaching the Basics
September 19, 9 am–12 pm
Disciples of Dirt will teach volunteers the fundamentals of mountain biking trail maintenance before putting those skills into practice through hands-on drainage and tread improvements. Participants can bring their bikes and ride the trails after the volunteer project.
Downtown Bend & Cascade Lakes Highway Cleanup
Bend | September 23, 4 pm –7 pm
Volunteers will help clean up along the trail system from the Bend spillway toward the Cascade Lakes Highway, removing litter from an area connecting Bend’s waterways and surrounding communities.
Public Lands Day Weekend – Breitenbush
Breitenbush | September 26, 9:30 am–4:30 pm
Volunteers will help clean Elk, Dunlap and Short Lakes as part of the Friends of the Breitenbush Cascades’ Adopt-A-River and Love-Your-Lakes initiatives. SOLVE registrants can also take advantage of free camping at Cleator Bend Group Campground for the weekend.
McMinnville Park Cleanup Party
McMinnville | September 27, 10 am–12 pm
Volunteers of all ages will gather at Kiwanis/Joe Dancer Park to pick up litter and remove invasive species. The first 50 volunteers to arrive will receive a free McMinnville T-shirt, with support from local community and watershed partners.
Upper Clackamas River Cleanup
Upper Clackamas River | September 26, 9 am–12 pm
For its third annual cleanup, volunteers will help remove trash from dispersed campsites and other areas along the Wild and Scenic Upper Clackamas River. The cleanup will be followed by a community picnic from noon to 1 pm.
How to Get Involved
- Volunteer: Browse local Beach & Riverside Cleanup events and register yourself or a group at volunteer.solve.org/beach-riverside
- Bring your community: Invite friends, family, coworkers or neighbors to take part in a local cleanup or restoration project.
SOLVE’s 2026 Beach & Riverside Cleanup is proudly supported by Clean Water Services, Kaiser Permanente, Knife River, Keep America Beautiful, Metro, National Recreation and Park Association, Oregon State Park & Recreation, Owens Corning, Portco Packaging, Tillamook, Harper Houf Peterson Righellis Inc., and KOIN.
For more information or to register, visit solve.org/beach-riverside
About SOLVE
SOLVE brings communities together to take care of our environment and enhance our waterways. Since 1969, the organization has grown from a small, grassroots initiative to a national model of volunteer action. Today, SOLVE mobilizes and trains thousands of volunteers of all ages across Oregon, and SW Washington, to clean and restore our neighborhoods and natural areas, while empowering a community of environmental stewards for our state. Visit solve.org for more information or follow SOLVEPNW on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn.
