Fresno State’s Smittcamp Family Honors College partnered with Rivertree Volunteers for the annual Great Sierra River Cleanup from 9 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 15-16.

A part of the San Joaquin River between the Highway 99 bridge and Skaggs Bridge County Park, north of Fresno was cleaned by volunteers. Mark Stomma lead the annual project for the Fresno State students involved.

“The river cleanup helps to improve water quality by reducing pollution in the water and on the shore, as well as making the river a safer place for the wildlife and the people who swim, play and fish in it every day,” said Megan Ginise, a freshman mass communication and journalism major from Firebaugh.

128 students volunteers removed 14 tons of debris and more than 250 tires from the river in two days.

The San Joaquin is California’s second longest river and runs 333 miles from the Sierra to the San Joaquin-Sacramento delta. This river provides drinking water, crop irrigation, power and location to fish among other recreational activities.

Cleaning the portion of the San Joaquin River has been a part of the Fresno community for over 10 years.

“It’s a great community service event that runs deep in the hearts of all Valley residents who share the San Joaquin River,” Ginise said. “It’s a great uniting marker that can help teach the young and the old the importance of the river and the environment that we call home.”