Modoc County, CA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Because the unincorporated county is so sparsely populated, the County's solid-waste system is built on transfer stations and self-haul rather than countywide curbside pickup. Modoc County's waste pages describe Alturas Disposal operating the transfer stations for unincorporated Modoc County. The main Alturas site posts limited days (e.g., Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday) with seasonal hours (summer 10 a.m.-6 p.m., winter 10 a.m.-4 p.m.), and smaller sites — Lake City, Newell, Lookout, Adin, Davis Creek, Fort Bidwell, and Eagleville — operate on limited days that vary by location, while Canby, Likely, and Willow Ranch have been closed. Residents pay per-can or per-bag household-trash fees (roughly a few dollars each) and per-cubic-yard rates for loose trash; furniture, mattresses, tires, and metal carry their own posted fees. The Modoc County Environmental Health Department is the certified Local Enforcement Agency (LEA) for solid waste and responds to complaints about illegal disposal anywhere in the county. Where curbside collection does exist (mainly in and around the City of Alturas), the hauler's service terms apply — a personal cart (about 33 gallons), bagged trash, a lid that closes, and overflow that may not be collected — but those are the city/hauler service terms, not a countywide unincorporated mandate. Illegal dumping in lieu of proper disposal is unlawful and abatable as a nuisance under Title 8. Confirm current transfer-station days, hours, and fees with Alturas Disposal at (530) 233-2631 or Modoc County Environmental Health.