Millions of Californians enjoy the state's coastline and waterways everyday. However, many of those people are unaware how their daily activities, from driving a car, to not properly disposing of their garbage, or even throwing a cigarette butt on the ground, can impact the plants and animals off our shores. This debris can harm or kill beach organisms.
Pollution also makes using the beach less enjoyable for humans.
Solving our water pollution problems requires everyone's involvement. Look around the next time you walk down the street. When it rains, trash on sidewalks and streets that accumulates in the gutter is swept into your city's storm drain system. Most storm drain systems discharge directly into the ocean. Trash is also carried from inland areas to the ocean by wind, streams, and rivers, is dumped directly in the ocean by recreational and commercial boaters and is left on the beach by beach goers.