The City, in partnership with the County, have been working with state regulatory authorities to legally remove vegetation and waste from the Fresno River. The City recently completed Stage 1 of the Fresno River Cleanup Program which included:
On May 18, 2022, the Madera City Council voted to approve a service provider agreement with O&E Transportation LLC, to continue a litter abatement project addressing the Fresno River within the city limits. With the approval of the aforementioned agreement, Stage 2 cleanup operations are now effectively underway.
To reduce the standing fire risk posed to our neighborhoods and the greater community, the City of Madera is partnering with state agencies to execute an emergency brush-clearing operation in portions of the river bed that extend through the Madera city limits.
In 2020 Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-23-20 which immediately provided state government assets, including state excess land to provide shelter and housing for individuals experiencing homelessness. Executive Order N-23-20 superseded the City's no camping ordinance and temporarily halted abatement and cleanup programs intended to remove encampments from State property. The order was lifted June 30, 2021, and abatement programs have resumed.
The Madera Police Department has committed two Police Officers, four days a week, to patrol the river, and one Code Enforcement officer, five days a week, to post and monitor trash and debris.