Category: Author: Bill Templin

  • Bannon Creek Clean Up

    At our annual Creek Week Celebration clean ups each April, we often hear the question, “So when can we do this again?” To which we usually have to answer… “Not until next year…” Well, one of our site leaders, Tanja , and her crew of volunteers went the extra mile (setting a good example for…

  • Mosquito Fish, Friend or Foe?

    by Bill Templin Mosquito fish (Gambusia sp.) are small fish (1.5 – 2.5 inches) that tolerate a wide range of temperatures and are used as a predator of mosquito larvae in many diverse aquatic habitats throughout the world. With all of the attention being given locally to aerial spraying to control mosquitoes and reduce West…

  • Dry Creek Salmon Count

    by Bill Templin, Board Member, Sacramento Urban Creeks Council and Upper American River Foundation Once again, a good volunteer turnout of over 30 people participated in walking 16 reaches of Dry Creek and it’s tributaries including Secret Ravine, Miner’s Ravine, Antelope Creek, Linda Creek, and Cirby Creek. The intrepid volunteers were documenting the number of…

  • 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…

  • Horsing Around Ueda Parkway during Creek Week 2005!

    By Bill Templin This year Creek Week offered a new activity, a horseback tour of the Ueda Parkway! The idea was Barbara Eggleston’s and it was a good one. What a great way to spend a beautiful Sacramento Saturday morning in spring. It had been quite a while since I had last ridden a horse,…