For years, Spokane Riverkeeper and our partners have removed tens of thousands of pounds of garbage from the Spokane River. We’ve worked alongside volunteers, outfitters, cities, and land managers to protect this treasured waterway—but the trash keeps coming back.
It’s time for the Washington Department of Ecology to recognize what we already know: the Spokane River is impaired by aquatic trash. And under the Clean Water Act, that matters.
In 2024 alone, Spokane Riverkeeper conducted 129 cleanups and removed 67,110 pounds of trash from the river corridor. These numbers are not outliers—they reflect a persistent and worsening trend we’ve tracked since 2018. Much of this pollution is concentrated in areas like People’s Park and TJ Meenach Bridge, where a lack of sanitation infrastructure and concentrated human activity cause trash to accumulate rapidly.
We’re calling on the state to use its legal authority to list the Spokane River as impaired under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act and begin the formal process of addressing the pollution. Because right now, the law is being ignored—and the river is paying the price.
Trash Pollution Is a Water Quality Violation
Trash in the Spokane River isn’t just a nuisance, it’s a pollutant. The Clean Water Act explicitly defines “garbage” as a pollutant. Because of this, states are required to identify and list waterways that fail to meet water quality standards for any kind of pollutant, including trash.
The Washington Department of Ecology has both the authority and the duty to protect water quality. Under state and federal law, Ecology must ensure that water quality standards are met, and when they are not, the agency must take action to address the problem.
While there is currently no specific numeric water quality standard for trash in Washington, the evidence clearly shows that the Spokane River is not meeting the general water quality standards. Fortunately, Washington law and Ecology’s own policies allow for waterways to be listed as impaired based on narrative (descriptive) standards when numeric standards do not exist.
Ecology’s Policy 1-11 permits the listing of a waterbody as Category 5 impaired if there is “well-documented narrative evidence” that a pollutant is harming the river’s designated uses. This is exactly the type of evidence Spokane Riverkeeper has submitted, making a strong legal case for recognizing trash as a pollutant impairing the Spokane River.
To support our request, we submitted:
Cleanup data from 2018 through 2024
GPS-tagged photos from field cleanups
Weight totals from City of Spokane Waste to Energy scales
Observations of trash embedded in sediment and riparian vegetation
Documentation of repeated impairment of beneficial uses, including recreation and aquatic life
Our data shows physical alteration of the river corridor, persistent and worsening pollution, and evidence of harm to aquatic habitat and public access. Under Policy 1-11, this type of documentation qualifies a waterway for impairment listing when pollution is degrading its designated uses.
Much of this trash is concentrated in public access points and areas where unhoused individuals live without access to waste disposal. The pollution is persistent, visible, and linked to significant harm. In short, it meets every criterion Ecology requires to place a waterway in Category 5—Impaired under narrative standards.
What Happens Now?
Our data was formally submitted to Ecology in June 2025 as part of the agency’s biennial water quality assessment—the process used to develop Washington’s 303(d) list of impaired waters. These submissions are evaluated alongside other water quality monitoring data to determine whether water bodies meet state standards.
It may take months or even years before we receive a final assessment. The process includes data review, internal recommendations, public comment periods, and final EPA approval. But our submission ensures that the Spokane River’s trash problem is part of the official review.
Cleanups Can’t Compete with Inaction
Spokane Riverkeeper’s cleanups are essential but they are no substitute for regulation. Even with our volunteers, staff, and partners dedicating hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars every year, the trash returns within weeks—sometimes days.
Until Ecology formally recognizes trash as a pollutant impairing the river, there will be no coordinated statewide plan. No funding. No permits. No enforcement. Just more garbage, more habitat damage, and more public risk.
That’s what has to change.
We’re urging the Department of Ecology to:
List the Spokane River as impaired for aquatic trash on the 303(d) list
Initiate a Trash TMDL to assess sources, set targets, and implement controls
Coordinate cleanup and prevention across agencies, landowners, and jurisdictions
Invest in solutions that address upstream causes—like access to affordable housing, lack of sanitation, and single-use plastic waste
Trash doesn’t vanish—it accumulates, it spreads, and it impacts every living thing in the watershed. This isn’t just about cleanups. It’s about upholding the law, protecting public resources, and preserving the river we all care about.
It’s Time for Legal Action on Trash
Ecology’s mission is to “protect, preserve, and enhance Washington’s environment for current and future generations.” By failing to regulate trash pollution in the Spokane River, the agency is falling short of that mission—and leaving our community to deal with the consequences.
The law is clear. The evidence is overwhelming. The responsibility lies with the state.
Trash doesn’t belong in the Spokane River. It’s time for Ecology to treat it that way.
Read our letter to Ecology here.