Finding Refuge at the River
Written by Natalie Chrisman
On a hot summer day, the Sacramento and American Rivers attract people from all walks of life, offering an escape from the heat and a relaxing way to pass the time. Boats, pool floats, barbeques, and picnics are frequent sights.
However, for some of Sacramento’s most vulnerable population, the river is not a cool escape, rather it is a lifeline. According to ABC 10 News, roughly 5,600 hundred people face homelessness in Sacramento on any given night; many choose to spend the time in the shade by the river, setting up tents, fires, and makeshift shelter. Although some may consider the wall of tents along the riverbank merely an eyesore, it is evidence of a much larger problem in regards to the California housing crisis, and poses a more specific threat to the river itself: pollution.
In his 2015 book, Introduction to Water in California, David Carle states that in 2002 “the USGS* found… ‘higher levels of acetaminophen… birth-control hormones and cholesterol” in the Sacramento river than in most of the other 139 bodies of water tested. Although these statistics were alarming in 2002, the problem has only worsened since then.
The issue of rising pollution levels and their correlation to the houseless has been recognized throughout the state. With almost no regular access to bathrooms, many take to disposing of waste in the river: according to Californiahealthline.org, “in Sacramento, regulators have been measuring elevated fecal bacteria levels in the lower American River for more than three years.” Although this issue is pressing in a normal year, the recent COVID-19 crisis has certainly elevated it.
Articles like “Full bladders, closed bathrooms. Strategies for peeing while out during coronavirus” (LA Times) circulate, pointing out the difficulty in finding restrooms during the pandemic, giving suggestions on how to navigate without them. However, for the homeless, this issue is amplified to a whole other level; many businesses required visitors to make a purchase before giving access to restrooms pre-COVID. In a world where restaurants in California cannot open for indoor dining, finding stores with bathrooms open to the public, without making a purchase has become difficult. Furthermore, in a world where many businesses have stopped accepting cash payments, it is increasingly difficult for homeless people to make any purchases in the first place. With nowhere to go, dumping into the rivers or streets of Sacramento may seem like the only option for the houseless.
This problem is only intensified by other COVID-19 related pressures in the area, and all over the country. According to KCRA news there have been “more than 200 permanent [business] closures in Sacramento-Roseville area” since the beginning of the pandemic. According to the LA Times, more than 3 million Californians are unemployed as a result of the economic strain. With housing costs continually on the rise, it’s just a matter of time before people are left with nowhere to go.
A spike in the homeless population would no doubt come with waste and debris: syringes, trash, clothing, etc. are all common sights along the riverbank and on the capitol steps where many take shelter during the night. Without devoting more attention to the state’s (and Sacramento itself’s) homeless and the ever growing housing crisis that contributes to the issue, the dumping and polluting will certainly get worse.
*U.S. Geological Survey