By Alta Tura

In the weeks and days leading up to the yearly clean-up of Sacramento County’s creeks, planners worried a bit about the weather. Nothing can squelch a creek clean-up more thoroughly than a heavy rainstorm. So the sunny and mild spring conditions on the day of the clean-up were very welcome. Not too hot, not too cold and, most important, not too wet.

Volunteers reported to more than fifty different sites at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 9. Some groups numbered as few as three workers while the largest group was a whopping 61 strong. Their collective labors resulted in the removal of about 20 tons of man-made debris from creeks in the unincorporated County and in the cities of Sacramento, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova and Folsom. The red sesbania plant, another creek villain, was delivered a set back by the 100 volunteers who toiled to remove the invasive plants from 1,200 feet of creek banks.

Thanks to the effective work of Creek Week volunteers, Sacramento County’s creeks will have fewer obstructions during high water events, our rivers and even the ocean will be cleaner and native willows will have an opportunity to make a comeback along the banks of Dry Creek.

This article originally appeared in our Summer 2005 Newsletter