The City of Stockton is addressing the accumulation of trash in our local waterways with a new workboat specifically designed to remove debris and certain invasive vegetation from the water. To tackle the problem, the City is launching the McLeod Lake Cleanup Program with the dedication of a new workboat to assist with cleanup in McLeod Lake and the downtown channels. Please join City leaders and community partners at the Stockton Downtown Marina, behind the Waterfront Warehouse building, 445 W. Weber Avenue, to officially dedicate the new City of Stockton skimmer workboat on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at 3:30 p.m.
“McLeod Lake is in the heart of our city, just across the street from City Hall,” said Mayor Kevin Lincoln. “The new workboat will help us continue our mission to keep our downtown waterfront clean and be good stewards of the environment."
The workboat will be staffed by a crew of two City of Stockton Municipal Utilities Department (MUD) employees. The vessel will be available to operate and provide daily, weekly, or monthly service, as needed, to remove trash, floating aquatic weeds, and debris from McLeod Lake and the downtown channels near the Downtown Marina.
“Litter and trash affect everybody’s quality of life,” said City Manager Harry Black. “The Stockton community has embraced the Clean City Initiative’s civic beautification projects and opportunities provided by the Drive Thru Recycling events. The workboat is another tool for keeping our city and waterways clear of debris that can cause other environmental concerns along our Downtown Waterfront.”
Stockton already dedicates significant resources to help keep our community clean. Last year, the City of Stockton cleaned more than 3,700 tons of debris, collected 1,232 illegally dumped mattresses, and removed 652,500 square feet of graffiti.
The new workboat is a stable catamaran design, allowing the vessel to skim the water as it navigates, collecting debris onto a platform. The workboat can perform a variety of maintenance tasks in waterways. In addition to the collection of floating trash and aquatic weeds, it will replace the pontoon boat used by the Municipal Utilities Department (MUD) for waterway maintenance at the Delta Water Supply Project Intake Pump Station, which is the source of much of the City’s drinking water, and the Regional Wastewater Control Facility that processes wastewater for the entire City.
"Over the past several years, McLeod Lake has diminished in popularity, particularly during the summer months, due to invasive water hyacinth, trash, and harmful algal blooms," explained Dr. Mel Lytle, Director of Municipal Utilities. "The McLeod Lake Cleanup Program advances the City's commitment to protecting our natural resources and inspires a sense of community responsibility for the environment."
The McLeod Lake Cleanup Program will also provide a variety of water conservation and pollution prevention education opportunities for local schools, organizations, and members of the public. For additional details and information, please visit www.stocktonca.gov/mud or call (209) 937-5056.