Sacramento’s Other Kings

by Bill Templin Dry Creek and its tributaries are noteworthy for having the only documented salmon run of any of the area's creeks. These runs occurred both before and after construction of the Natomas East Main Drain (now called "Steelhead Creek") and levee which were constructed around 1914-15. Read our Historical Overview of Sacramento's Creeks. […]

Mourning Doves

by Bill Templin As much as you might think that those mourning doves that you see in your back yards are locals, many of them are probably migrating from as far north as Canada in the late summer and up from Mexico in the spring. Mourning doves, like ducks and geese, are migratory game birds […]

Arundo Eradication and Control Program

by Frank Wallace Project Director, Sacramento Weed Warriors What is the Problem with Arundo? Arundo (also called Giant Reed) is a bamboo-like grass that thrives in moist soils and Sacramento's hot climate. It can grow up to 30 feet tall, as much as 1 foot a week in the summer! Arundo chokes out valuable native […]

Pesticides in Creeks:
The Argentine Connection

by Dave Tamayo, Sacramento County Storm Water Program A favorite activity of my childhood was collecting big “red ants” (Pogonomyrmex sp. harvester ants) and creating ant habitats in a jar so I could watch them forage and dig. Even better, a friend of mine had his very own red ant colony just outside his kitchen […]

Adventures of a Creek Week Site Leader

by Kris Olsen Leading a site? Sound unappealing? Not at all. I mean, if you are bringing your own crew, you need to juggle maps, e-mails about parking, and possible hazards; but on the upside, you get to boss people around for half a day and they actually listen to you. This year’s adventures began […]

Cliff Swallows

by Bruce Swinehart No story of Spring would be complete without mention of the return of the swallows. This romanticized event is familiar to almost everyone. The swallow most often referred to is the cliff swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota. This sparrow-sized bird has the characteristically pointed wings of the swallow but is the only swallow with […]

And the Award Goes to…Calvine High School

Calvine High School received the Creek Steward award for their study of Strawberry Creek in south Sacramento County and Elk Grove. They have conducted water quality tests, surveyed plants and animals and compared the results on two different creek stretches. One section of creek has been straightened and lined with concrete to allow development to […]

Dipping Into Creeks
An Educator’s Guide and Kit

by Beth Etgen, Urban Creeks Council Vice President, Education With flowing water, wooded banks, and a variety of wildlife, local creeks are an ideal resource for learning through experiential environment-based education. Research and classroom-based studies show that students learn better, are better citizens at school, and transfer their learning to new situations better in environment-based […]

Creek Plants: Buckeye

by Bruce Swinehart One of the most obvious changes that is evident in fall is the transition many plants make. To me, the drying of the grasses to a golden brown in late summer transforms the rather monotonous contours of the foothills into a colorful representation of our Golden State. As you travel through our […]

Reaching Out to the Community

Mira Loma High School Students Introducethe Outreach Portions of the Arcade Creek Project by Lisa Kelly, Senior Manager of Outreach The Arcade Creek Project began as a result of the International Baccalaureate Program coming to Mira Loma High School. The students and their instructors began studying nearby Arcade Creek, a beautiful neighborhood waterway that runs […]