Rillito River · River Road · Tucson, Arizona

Clean the Rillito

A field of dumped furniture, wooden drawers and boxes, tarps, clothing and scattered trash spread across the sandy bank of the wash, with mesquite and the Catalinas beyond.
Chip in Goes through PayPal · any amount helps

I understand that every time it rains in Tucson, new trash is going to appear in the wash. But the honest truth is, I hate looking at it when I ride by.

I'm just a disabled vet who has time on his hands to go out there and do this a few times a week. I'm not a non-profit. I don't go out there to clean once a year, I don't need volunteers and I don't post on social media about things I've done or want to do.

This site is simple: you send me some monetary help so I can buy the things I need to make this easier. You'll find actual pictures of what it looks like out there, and a few of the things I've pulled out.

Here's the gist

The wash is like a hoarder

You tend to stare, but most of the time it's ignored.

When it rains, it cries and accumulates more items.

It doesn't want to live this way. It knows it has to change, but it needs a little help.

Here's what I see

Can you find the cart?

These photos were taken along the River Road bike path. Nothing staged, nothing borrowed — every photo here is a spot I've ridden.

An overturned shopping cart on a sandbar in the middle of the flooded wash, with brush and muddy water around it.
A shopping cart half-sunk in mud in the middle of the braided channel, with the Catalina foothills behind.
The paved bike path running along the top of the bank, with muddy water filling the channel below at dusk.
The sandy channel under the River Road bridge, scattered with rocks and debris.
A wide dry stretch of the wash with a red object dumped in the middle distance and the mountains beyond.
Shallow water braiding across the sand, with small pieces of trash visible on the far bar.
The dry wash bed with tamarisk clumps and houses along the far bank.
The view from the bike path railing across the wet channel toward the foothills.
Concrete columns under the bridge, with sand berms and standing water in the shade.
This one is a bit tricky, so I'll give you a clue: you can barely see it, but it's on the right side before the rise.

Here's what I'd like

Every dollar helps me get things done faster and easier

No overhead, no salary, no office. I'm just one person with an E-bike. This is what your contributions are physically worth:

$15
Bags and Ibuprofen

Like I said, I'm a disabled vet with back issues — and contractor-grade bags are expensive.

$50
A pull-behind custom trailer

I'm building this thing to fit my E-bike. It's cheaper than a huge waste bin I'd have to pay for and have picked up, and definitely easier than trying to find a spot to park my SUV. At least this way I still abide by bike path courtesies.

$150
A welder

Otherwise the trailer is just going to be duct tape and screws.

$400
A stronger E-bike

Or hell, you could just give me one. Mine's hitting 1,000 miles on the odometer, and it needs a recharge every time I go out there. More pull and longer distance would help.

The figures are just an estimate. Every dollar counts — so far, the only thing I've been able to do is move select items to a nearby garbage bin.

Chip in

Send what you want

Contributions go through PayPal. You don't need a PayPal account — a card works fine.

Other ways to help

Money is not the only useful thing

Before and after

What I've hauled out

I'll add a pair here every time I clear a spot — same angle, before and after.

Photos coming soon.