Creeks and waterways contaminated with trash and pollutants aren’t just ugly, they’re a threat to the environment and the quality of the water that flows in them. This problem was highlighted in a recent Dispatch article focusing on trash in and around Miller Slough.
As a director on the Santa Clara Valley Water District Board, I can tell you the water district understands and takes seriously the problems caused by litter, dumping and illegal encampments along the county’s waterways.
In fact, as part of the voter-approved Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program, we are partnering with cities and other agencies to clean up large illegal creekside encampments that contaminate waterways, reduce the ability of creeks to handle the flow of heavy rains and potentially damage flood protection facilities. The process for these cleanups requires several steps to ensure not only the safety of staff, but also the opportunity for campers to take advantage of social services and, hopefully, find alternate housing.
 The district has received complaints of trash from homeless encampments and has been working in partnership with the City of Gilroy Police Department to schedule cleanups on district and city owned stretches of the creek. While there may be homeless encampments that extend beyond these sections of the creek, the challenge is that the water district does not own much of the length of the slough and it would be illegal for the district to use public money to clean up private property.
 In fact, the district only owns 1,000 feet of Miller Slough north of Highway 101, extending approximately to Maple St. The section under 101 belongs to Caltrans, and the City of Gilroy owns small pockets north of that. The remaining portions of the creek, which include most of the upstream section after 101, are privately owned and the responsibility of the owners to maintain. The City of Gilroy can and does send notices to private property owners advising them to clean up their property and is pursuing code enforcement options.
 On Friday, Feb. 27, the Gilroy Police Department posted flyers along the portions of the slough owned by the district or the city notifying campers that a cleanup will occur March 2-5. The areas being addressed by this cleanup are a section of Upper Miller Slough and the West Branch Llagas Creek.
 Keeping our county’s creeks clean is a never-ending job, and it takes diligence and cooperation with local agencies and residents. I am personally invested in this issue and have joined with the Compassion Center and CHEER (Coastal Habitat Education & Environmental Restoration) in Gilroy to help address the problem of homeless encampments along our waterways. The District has endorsed Destination Home’s countywide Community Plan to End Homelessness.
We encourage members of the public to report illegal dumping. They can call our operations and maintenance hotline (408-630-2378) or submit a concern through our online customer service center, Access Valley Water, via our website (www. valleywater.org) or by smart phone app to report areas needing attention.
 And if residents want a hands-on experience, we invite volunteers to participate in the Adopt-A-Creek program, or in a National River Cleanup Day or Coastal Cleanup Day event. Simply email Vo*******@va*********.org.Â
Through partnering with local agencies, gathering information from alert citizens, enlisting the help of volunteers, and educating the public on the importance of maintaining clean, healthy waterways, the district will continue its efforts to protect the health and safety of our water supplies and the environment.
(Dennis Kennedy is the vice chair and District 1 Director of the Santa Clara Valley Water District. He lives in Morgan Hill and served for 12 years as that city’s mayor. He wrote this piece for the Dispatch.)
