Come and assist us to clean Peralta Creek on Sept. 17 from 9 to nooon, sponsored by the City of Oakland, CA. Healthy watersheds are a vital component of a healthy urban environment. Oakland’s watershed is comprised of 15 main creeks, over 30 tributaries, Lake Merritt and the Estuary. These creeks and waterways provide numerous functions, both ecological and hydrological.
Ecologically the watershed provides moisture to the flora composition of bay leave trees, oak trees, redwoods, black berries, etc.
In addition to their recreational and aesthetic benefits, creeks enhance biodiversity, provide habitat, recharge groundwater and reduce erosion, provide oxygen and filter pollutants from freeways.
Because of these unique and precious resources, the City of Oakland has made the environmental protection of its creeks and waterways a priority. Oakland’s watershed programs focus on:
- Protecting and enhancing creek habitat and water quality
- Limiting water pollution caused by urban development and runoff
- Minimizing trash & illegal dumping in our waterways
- Educating residents and businesses about watershed impacts and pollution prevention
- Cultivating stewardship of our watershed resources through volunteerism
An environmental impact report previously provided for the construction of Highway 13, may reveal more data as to how the creeks were covered and the ecosystem disrupted. By today standards, highway 13 may not have been constructed, instead a train system, more environmentally friendly, would have been developed.
