Russian River Watershed Creek Week 2013

The Russian River watershed’s fourth annual Creek Week is September 21-29, 2013. Creek Week is a week-long celebration of our local creeks.  Throughout the Russian River watershed, cities, counties and other stewardship organizations are coming together to declare September 21 - 29 as "Creek Week."  This will be a time of fun, adventure, and taking care of the lands and waterways in our communities, with educational activities for everyone at local creeks and nature areas, as well as hands-on creek cleanups. The activities planned during this week-long celebration will draw communities together and bring us closer to the natural environments that support us.

There are over 150 creeks within the Russian River watershed that create a rich and diverse system which provide water supply, wildlife habitat, flood capacity, recreation, and aesthetic values to all who live in and visit them. Pollution, trash and debris damages the aesthetic and biological qualities of local waterways, impacting ongoing efforts to restore and enhance habitat for fish and wildlife.  Over time the trash makes its way to the Pacific Ocean, where up to 80% of debris originates from land-based sources.

The health of our creeks and rivers depends on us. Take a look at what Creek Week has for you:

September 21 – International Coast Cleanup Day

Sonoma Coast and Creek Cleanup - a full day cleanup campaign. Coastwalk will provide all needed materials and equipment. To participate contact Coastwalk at 829-6689 or at http://coastwalk.org/volunteer/coastalcleanupday

Mendocino Coast Cleanup - 9:00 AM to noon campaign to clean up Mendocino County’s beaches, creeks and the rivers. Contact Jez Anderson at 962-0470 or find info online at the Mendocino County Land Trust site: http://www.mendocinolandtrust.org/?Calendar_of_Events

Gibson Creek Cleanup - Friends of Gibson Creek will be removing trash and garbage from Gibson Creek in Ukiah from 9 AM-1 PM.  Registration is at 9 AM at Oak Manor Park.  Thanks to a generous donation from RRWA, FOGC will be providing lunch at 12:30 PM to participants. Contact 463-2721 for more information.

September 21 – 29

The City of Santa Rosa is sponsoring events all week, from family adventures and walking tours to naturalist field talks. Here are a few of the details: On Sunday, September 22, you can bring your family to Olive Park for a fun afternoon of bug exploration and turtle talk in Santa Rosa Creek; on Monday September 23, back by popular demand, come explore the huge culvert that runs under downtown Santa Rosa; and on Wednesday, September 25, join fisheries biologists and learn about fish lifecycles and interactions of fish species. For the full schedule of events and more information, online visit www.srcity.org/creekweek , or call 543-4246.

September 28

Russian River Watershed Cleanup – This is a full morning cleanup campaign along 55 miles of the Russian River from Cloverdale to Duncan’s Mill.  Get involved by participating or contributing to this enormous effort. For more information, visit http://www.russianrivercleanup.org , or call 887-2302.

West Forks Russian River Walk and Cleanup - Volunteers are needed to join teams that will clean up the West Fork of the Russian River from Redwood Valley to the Forks confluence. Teams will gather at Taylor’s Tavern in Redwood Valley at 9 AM then disperse to assigned river reaches for trash collection and deposition. Contact Cathy Monroe (cathymonroe@gmail.com) or Shelley Janek (shelley.janek@mcrcd.org) or visit www.mcrcd.org/events for more information.

Rohnert Park Creek Cleanup - The Sonoma County Youth Ecology Corps and the Sonoma County Water Agency are hosting a creek cleanup in Rohnert Park from 9 AM to noon. For more information, contact Ryan Pedrotti, Ryan.pedrotti@scwa.ca.gov, or call 521-6209.

Pull out your calendars and schedule some Creek Week activities. Our creeks and rivers need every member of the community to take care of them, and Creek Week 2013 is a good way to start.

This article was authored by Jill Scott, Research and Program Coordinator for the City of Santa Rosa Utilities Department and Daria Isupov, Staff Member of RRWA.