-
Time is Ripe for “Scoop the Poop” Pilot Program
Courtesy of Sacramento County Stormwater Quality The Sacramento County Stormwater Quality Program has partnered with Arcade Creek Recreation and Park District and local volunteer groups to develop a cost-effective pilot program called "Scoop the Poop." The program aims to reduce the bacteria found in local waterways caused by the improper disposal of pet waste in…
-
Creek Critters: Water Striders
by Bonnie Ross Among aquatic insects, long-legged water striders are about the easiest to see. They live on the water surface film and they tend to congregate in large numbers. One genus, would you believe, lives on the surface of the ocean, sometimes many miles from land! Water striders belong to the family Gerridae within…
-
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.…
-
Pesticides in Creeks:
The Argentine Connectionby 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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
California National Guard Cleans Arcade Creek
by Alta Tura Wayne Lorentzen of the California National Guard was looking for a worthy Earth Day service project when he called me in March. I had just the place that needed a tough, well-organized group with experience in tackling hazards safely. This very needy section of Arcade Creek had not been cleaned for the…
-
Ithuriel’s Spear (Triteleia laxa)
by Frank Wallace Ithuriel’s spear grows 1-2 feet in height and produces 8-20 lovely funnel-shaped violet-blue flowers on its leafless stem. This plant blooms in profuse clusters in early spring along many of Sacramento’s urban creeks and along the bluffs overlooking Lake Natoma. Ithuriel, from Milton’s Paradise Lost, was one of the angels appointed to…
-
Join The Fight Against Alien Invaders
by Frank Wallace Since 2001, each Creek Week Cleanup Day has included work sites to remove red sesbania, an invasive plant that grows naturally in southern South America. This plant is spreading rapidly along many creeks in north Sacramento and along the American River, threatening the existence of native plants used by wildlife for food…