Newport Beach cleanup targets 10,000 pounds of bay trash Sept. 19

Organizers want 1,000 volunteers to pull 10,000 pounds of trash and invasive plants from Upper Newport Bay on Sept. 19, part of a worldwide Coastal Cleanup Day effort.

OC Parks and the Newport Bay Conservancy are leading the cleanup at the 1,000-acre Back Bay reserve, with the City of Newport Beach among the partners, according to OC Parks. Volunteers will fan out across mini-cleanup sites along the bay's 11-mile loop from 9 a.m. to noon. The main gathering point is the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center, 2301 University Drive.

Attendance and parking are free. Registered volunteers receive a commemorative T-shirt.

Exact site assignments along the loop will be shared before the cleanup. Organizers ask participants to wear old clothes and closed-toe shoes (tall or rubber boots work best) and bring a refillable water bottle, gloves and a trash bag or bucket.

Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, vice chair of the Board of Supervisors, said the effort underscores the bay's economic importance. "One third of Orange County's tourism economy is bolstered by our ocean economy," Foley said. She added that keeping waterways clean preserves local habitats and supports the county's economy.

Upper Newport Bay is one of the largest estuaries in Southern California. The preserve drew roughly 665,000 visitors in 2025, according to OC Parks Resource Specialist Emma Boulter in a Newport Beach Indy feature on the preserve.

Additional partners include the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Orange County Coastkeeper, Newport Aquatic Center and Inside the Outdoors. Newport Landing is also offering free whale-watching passes to cleanup volunteers, as we reported Sept. 2.

Coastal Cleanup Day falls on the third Saturday in September each year and draws volunteers to beaches and waterways worldwide.

How to sign up: Register at events.humanitix.com/cud2026.

What to bring: Old clothes, closed-toe shoes, refillable water bottle, gloves, trash bag or bucket.

When: Sept. 19, 9 a.m.–noon.

Where: Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center, 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach.