LAKESIDE, Calif. (KGTV) — A month after ABC 10News first highlighted growing homeless encampments along the San Diego River in Lakeside, crews have made significant progress clearing the area — removing nearly 10 tons of trash in just a few days.
The effort is being led by the Lakeside River Park Conservancy, whose crews have spent weeks cleaning multiple encampment sites that had become overrun with garbage, abandoned belongings and hazardous materials.
When I visited the area on June 3, the river corridor was filled with tents, furniture, bicycles, propane tanks, appliances and piles of trash. Organizers warned the buildup posed environmental and fire risks for the surrounding community.
Now, much of that debris is gone.
"We've taken out approximately 10 tons of material, just shy of 10 tons of material in the last four days," said Robert Doty with the Lakeside River Park Conservancy, who has helped lead the cleanup effort.
Doty said volunteers uncovered everything from bicycles and tables to furniture and electronic waste while clearing the encampments.
Although the transformation has been dramatic, organizers say the work is far from finished.
"We're still only halfway through," they said, noting there are additional sites that still need to be cleared.
The nonprofit says one of the biggest changes since the original ABC 10News report has been the response from the community.
"So we actually feel quite supported by the community at this point in so many ways," said Julie Turko with the Lakeside River Park Conservancy. "We can't believe how Lakeside and all of these partners have helped come together to help us get this cleanup done."
Doty says the cleanup has also strengthened relationships among volunteers and residents working toward the same goal.
"It's been a real team-building experience, not just within the organization but also building relationships with community members," he said.
Organizers say while the project is only about halfway complete, the progress over the past month has already transformed parts of the river corridor back into the natural space many residents remember.
The Lakeside River Park Conservancy plans to continue cleanup efforts in the coming weeks with the help of volunteers and community partners.
