by Roger Backlar, member of Sierra Pacific Fly Fishers and event attendee
On November 1, 2025, an estimated 80 to 90 volunteers participated in the 11th Annual Owens River Clean Up. The event, organized by Mammoth High School teacher and fishing guide Chris Leonard, drew an impressionable number of volunteers, the vast majority of whom came from out of town.
Volunteers gathered at 8:00 a.m. at the metal footbridge at Pleasant Valley Campground for coffee and baked goods. After some socializing and a rousing pep talk by Chris Leonard, and fueled by caffeine and sugar, the volunteers fanned out along the river armed with trash bags, buckets, gloves, and a willingness to make a difference. Some headed upstream all the way to the dam at Pleasant Valley Reservoir, some spread out along the Wild Trout Section, and some headed even further downstream as far as the Bishop Canal and the Highway 6 bridge.
Over the next three or so hours, volunteers collected enough trash to fill a half-dumpster about half full. Everything from old monofilament to Styrofoam worm containers, cigarette butts to beer bottles, old tires to an abandoned washing machine, found its way to the dumpster. The weather was glorious, warm but not too hot. The author of this article, who found a trash motherlode at the Highway 6 bridge, may or may not have taken a short break to pull a few healthy fish out of the run below the bridge.
At noon, volunteers gathered back at Pleasant Valley Campground for a lunch of Subway sandwiches, chips, cookies, and cool drinks, all provided free to the volunteers by event sponsors. Every volunteer got a raffle ticket for participation, and a surfeit of prizes donated by sponsors meant that most attendees won something. Prizes included everything from a guided fishing trip to hats to fishing rods to numerous gift certificates to local restaurants and retailers. The author is now the proud possessor of a gift certificate to Jack’s Restaurant in Bishop and is already dreaming of waffles, making all the hard work worthwhile! Luong Tam of Tenkara Tanuki held a tenkara casting competition after the event, and the winner won a tenkara rod. Everyone enjoyed the socialization and browsing at tables set up by various sponsors before and after the clean-up.
For all of us who showed up, the call of the river to go fishing instead that morning was strong. But it is good to be reminded that we also need to take care of the places we fish, and that this also means taking time to clean up after others who may be less thoughtful stewards of the water. Despite the geographic distance, many casting clubs and organizations that donated to the event and provided volunteers, are a part of a larger, extended Bishop and Eastern Sierra community. While guests undoubtedly help support this very special place with tourism money, the truth is it has given something far more precious to all of us, year after year. Taking one morning away from fishing to help maintain the natural beauty we love in the places we fish was well worth the price.
Event organizer Chris Leonard notes that this event would not have been possible without the dumpster provided by Preferred Disposal and Septic. Inyo County graciously waived dump fees and permission to hold the event was granted by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. California Waterfowl Association is the insurance holder and headlining organization of this event.
Organizations in attendance included California Waterfowl Association, Crowley Fish Foundation, Trout Unlimited, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Tenkara Tanuki, Sierra Pacific Fly Fishers, Long Beach Casting Club, Pasadena Casting Club, and Hi Desert Fly Fishers.
In addition to Sierra Pacific Fly Fishers, major sponsors of the event included: Long Beach Casting Club, Fly Fishers Club of Orange County, Pasadena Casting Club, Sespe Fly Fishers, California Waterfowl Association, Friends of the Inyo, Trout Unlimited, Caltrout, San Diego Fly Fishers, Eastern Sierra Sportfishing, and Tenkara Tanuki. Other sponsors included: Silver Lakes Resort, Virginia Lakes Resort, Vons Bishop, Kittredge Sports, Rick’s Sports Center, Paymon Rokni, Redington, and Ducks Unlimited.
Organizer Chris Leonard thanks everyone who supported and volunteered at the event. The 12th Annual Owens River Clean Up will happen Autumn 2026. The date will be announced early 2026.
Here is a well-written article about the event published by the Inyo Register: