Oregon, UC Davis students blamed for leaving mess at Lake Shasta over Memorial Day weekend

After some 3,000 students from University of California, Davis and the University of Oregon allegedly left a "mess" at Lake Shasta over Memorial Day weekend, U.S. Forest Service officials couldn't help but compare them to Oregon State students who cleaned up after themselves after their weekend on the lake earlier in May.

Shasta-Trinity National Forest officials spent six hours picking up trash this week and hauled out numerous garbage bags after students from the University of Oregon and UC Davis left Monday, said Douglas Winn, lake manager for the national forest.

He said much more trash ― wrappers, bottles, cans, paper plates and other debris ― sank underwater and is still out in the lake and can't be cleaned up until the water level drops.

Nearly twice as many students from Oregon and UC Davis partied at Lake Shasta this past weekend as Oregon State students did on Mother's Day weekend, Winn said.

This past weekend, the students rented some 130 houseboats, and most of the students on them camped on Slaughterhouse Island.

Winn said he spent about four hours a day on the lake passing out garbage bags to the students and asked them to pick up their trash. He said University of Oregon students even gave him assurances they would do better than their intrastate rivals, the Beavers from Oregon State.

But if trash pickup was a football game, the University of Oregon Ducks would have lost.

"One of the biggest concerns that really bothered me is all the mess in the water. And they can't really say they didn't see it, because they're getting on their boat, it's floating in the water next to them, and I was making comments as they were leaving. I said, 'Really you guys, are going to leave me this?' And they just laughed. And it's like, wow, OK," Winn said.

It was a stark contrast to when Oregon State students visited on Mother's Day weekend earlier in May. About 1,600 students rented houseboats and also camped on Slaughterhouse Island on the Sacramento River Arm of the lake, U.S. Forest Service officials said.

But after a weekend of partying and camping, about 40 Oregon State students stayed behind an extra day to tidy up and haul out trash, leaving the area in good condition, Winn said. The Oregon State students showed they were "good stewards of the land," he said.

Winn did not have praise for the UC Davis and University of Oregon students. He said he called University of Oregon administration and an official there promptly called him back and expressed dismay at the students' behavior.

"I more or less just wanted to let them know this is not alright. We want you to come here. We want you to have a good time. We enjoy having you here. But we have to be responsible, and we have to be good stewards of theland," Winn said.

The Record Searchlight on Tuesday called John Karl Scholz, University of Oregon president, but did not receive a return phone call.

The newspaper also left messages with UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May, asking if the forest service contacted the university, whether the university contacted students after the visit and if what the students did at the lake reflected the university's values.

UC Davis spokesman Bill Kisliuk sent a two-sentence email reply.

"The forest service contacted the university on Tuesday. Students are expected to comply with all laws, and failure to do so may result in discipline under the university policy on student conduct. Student visits to Lake Shasta over Memorial Day weekend are not sanctioned or sponsored by the university," Kisliuk said.

Beyond the trash issue, Mercy Medical Center of Redding and Dignity Health even had a boat on the water this past weekend staffed with medical professionals to treat students who got injured or drank too much, according to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office.

"Medical staff treated a total of 35 students, mainly for minor injuries and assisted in transporting four students to local hospitals for treatment of more serious conditions (injury, drug overdose, alcohol-related issues)," according to a news release from sheriff's office spokesman Tim Mapes.

Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Oregon, UC Davis students leave 'a mess' at Lake Shasta