Sacramento Area Creeks Council

Reviewed by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation

$1,894 raised by 9 donors

19% complete

$10,000 Goal

Founded in 2009, the Sacramento Area Creeks Council ("Creeks Council") preserves, restores and maintains the natural streams in our urban communities through advocacy, financial support and technical expertise. The Creeks Council’s goal is to educate the general public on the aesthetic, recreational, and ecological value of Sacramento’s urban creeks.

 The Creeks Council achieves this through a variety of ways, including:

  •  Providing financial, material, and promotional support for creek, open-space and neighborhood cleanup events. 
  • Distributing educational materials and classroom curriculum that encourage the teaching of science concepts centered around conservation of natural resources.
  • Participating in local neighborhood events with educational booths and activities for all ages.
  • Advocating for local ordinances and land use planning processes that promote creek and river preservation, sound flood control project design, habitat restoration, and effective stream bank stabilization methods. 
  • Supporting on-going volunteer water quality monitoring efforts.

 The ecological health of Sacramento’s waterways has greatly deteriorated over the last few years due to excessive accumulation of trash and inorganic debris that damage creek channels, banks, and riparian habitat.  To address this, the Creeks Council is focusing its efforts on supporting local groups that implement creek restoration efforts throughout the year.  

 As part of this expanded focus, the Sacramento Area Creeks Council serves as the nonprofit fiscal sponsor of two local volunteer groups that emerged in the last couple of years in response to the ecological crisis facing our waterways : River City Waterway Alliance and Elk Grove Anti-Trash Volunteers.  These two volunteer groups have removed over 2 million pounds of debris from our local waterways.

 Creeks Council also sponsors a project called the “Arcade Creek Adopt A Creek Project,” which is a pilot project of the Creeks Council’s “Know Your Creek” effort.  More information about all of these programs can be found on our website: www.saccreeks.org

Giving Activity

Mission

The Sacramento Area Creeks Council ("Creeks Council") preserves, protects, restores, and maintains the natural streams in our urban communities through education, advocacy, financial support and technical expertise. Our goal is to educate the general public on the aesthetic, recreational, educational, and ecological value of our urban creeks.

Needs

Sadly, the ecological health of local waterways is severely degraded. The pervasiveness of trash in our creeks and rivers has created a substrate that armors creek channels, thereby choking out oxygen flow and impeding fish spawning habitat. The trash also compromises flood control benefits because it impedes natural water flow and creates debris dams. Other deleterious impacts of trash in local waterways include compaction of soil, erosion of banks and levees, destruction of wildlife habitat, and public health and safety concerns associated with hypodermic needles and pollution of waters from chemicals and fecal matter.

Sacramento Area Creeks Council needs funds to help support River City Waterway Alliance, Elk Grove Anti-Trash, and other volunteer groups that are working to protect and restore our local rivers, creeks, and streams. Donations to the Creeks Council support the purchase of tools, event supplies, volunteer refreshments, and fuel. All donations are leveraged by donations from other individuals, grants, and in-kind support from public agencies and the hundreds of hours donated by local volunteers to protect and restore Sacramento’s waterways.

Equity Statement

The creeks and rivers of Sacramento connect Sacramento residents across diverse geographies, ethnicities, socioeconomic means, and neighborhoods. Our creeks and rivers provide drinking water, recreational access, flood protection, and beauty for all to enjoy. Through its support of a myriad of creek cleanup events and educational outreach activities, the Sacramento Area Creeks Council works to preserve, protect, restore and maintain waterways throughout Sacramento’s urban and natural areas to benefit all local residents. Sacramento Area Creeks Council is dedicated to an internal culture that engages and welcomes board members and volunteers without discrimination on the basis of race, physical abilities, gender, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, or religion.

Campaigns supporting this organization

Get Involved

View our current participation opportunities.

In-Person Volunteering


River City Waterway Alliance Cleanups

Multiple locations

Ongoing opportunity

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Sacramento Area Creeks Council

Year Established

2009

Tax id (EIN)

26-3676166

Mission Category

Environment

Operating Budget

$0-$50,000

Organization Need

Funding: Unrestricted

Demographics Served

General population, Youth & Children

Local Counties Served

Sacramento

Address

PO BOX 162774
SACRAMENTO, CA 95816

Service areas

Sacramento, CA, US

Phone

916-897-1877

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