About Us

The Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership (SSQP) is a multi-jurisdictional
program made up of Sacramento County and the incorporated cities of Sacramento,
Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom, Galt, and Rancho Cordova, educating and
encouraging the community to protect local waterways from the impacts of urban
run-off, which flows untreated from storm drains to creeks, streams and rivers.

What is Stormwater?

Stormwater is rain that flows over land or impervious surfaces, such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops, and does not soak into the ground. In urban areas less rain is able to infiltrate into the ground, thus creating urban runoff and picking up pollutants along the way. Stormwater carries pollutants such as trash, pet waste, and garden chemicals into nearby storm drains, which eventually flows into waterways untreated. This harms the quality of our waterways.

Learn more

Ways to Protect Water

We need your help to protect our local waters!

Water pollution primarily comes from residents and you
are the most important solution to stormwater pollution.
Learn how you can help prevent stormwater pollution
and improve our community.

Take Action

Mercury

Mercury is very toxic to people and wildlife, and some of its uses have resulted in widespread contamination of the environment. Let’s work together to protect and enhance the quality of life in our neighborhoods and throughout the community for our enjoyment now…and for our children’s enjoyment in the future.

Stop pollution at the source:

Learn more
Mercury

Pesticides

Using less or non-toxic alternatives in your garden is important for a healthy garden, the beneficial bugs, our waterways, and our ecosystem. Let’s work together to protect and enhance the quality of life in our neighborhoods and throughout the community for our enjoyment now…and for our children’s enjoyment in the future.

Stop pollution at the source:

Learn more
Pesticides

Pet Waste

When pet waste is improperly disposed of, it can be picked up by stormwater runoff and washed into storm drains then directly to the river without being treated. Let’s work together to protect and enhance the quality of life in our neighborhoods and throughout the community for our enjoyment now…and for our children’s enjoyment in the future.

Stop pollution at the source:

Learn more
Pet Waste

Trash

Litter from sidewalks, streets, parking lots, and nature areas eventually find its way into our rivers. Let’s work together to protect and enhance the quality of life in our neighborhoods and throughout the community for our enjoyment now…and for our children’s enjoyment in the future.

Stop pollution at the source:

Learn more
Trash
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Events Calendar

< 2024 >
September
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  • The Secret Garden – Succulent Potted Bouquet
    10:30 -12:00
    09/08/2024

    Location

    The Secret Garden

    8450 W Stockton Blvd.

    Elk Grove, CO 95758

    Description

    Join Jennifer in the classroom on Sunday, September 8 from 10:30 – 12 to meet, mingle, and make a beautiful succulent arrangement.

    Registration of $55 includes instruction and everything needed to create this adorable “potted bouquet” arrangement in an 8″ terracotta pot. Succulent selection may vary due to seasonal availability. You’ll also learn the 4 C’s of working with succulents: Color, Compatibility, Composition and Care. Plus you’ll receive a 15% off coupon good towards purchases made the day of your workshop!

    Space is limited to 15 so check your calendar, call a friend, or come to make new ones.

    As with all our workshops, there are no refunds offered for cancellations made within 48 hours of the workshop. This includes requests for a gift card. Class will be held indoors with a max occupancy of 15 registered participants. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate guests.

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  • Effie Yeaw Nature Center – The Nature of Things: Speaker Series
    18:30 -20:00
    09/10/2024

    How Gardening with Native Plants Helps You & the Environment

    Program Description: Native Plants and plant communities are critically important to humans and the planet. Learn about nature’s free services and how native plants support the environment. What are the benefits to gardening with native plants? Native plants are hardy because they have adapted to the local conditions. Native plants do not need pesticides, fertilizers, and importantly, use less water. In addition, they provide vital habitat for birds and many other species of wildlife. IE good wildlife viewing! Not only is this good for the environment, but it also saves time and money. Native plants are also better at sequestering carbon. The presentation will include a slideshow some favorite native plants for gardens.

    Speaker Biography: Christina Lewis is a Board member of California Native Plant Society’s Sacramento Valley Chapter. In 2007, she along with other volunteers, started SacValley CNPS Nursery and Demo Gardens (formerly Elderberry Farms) and continues to be its director. She loves introducing the wonders of native plant habitat to people who are unfamiliar with the native flora that surrounds us. She has held several leadership positions and co-chairs Homegrown Habitat which is developing ways to expand native plant habitat through collaborations. SacValleyCNPS.org/Nursery

    Price:

    • General admission – $15

    • Members – $10

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  • River City Waterway Alliance – Tower Bridge Promenade Coastal Cleanup Day
    09:00 -11:30
    09/21/2024

    River City Waterway Alliance is partnering with Caltrans for Coastal Cleanup Day! Please REGISTER for this cleanup at the Caltrans website below, so we have a proper headcount of volunteers. Please meet at 1450 Front Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
    We will be cleaning the Tower Bridge Promenade along the amazing Sacramento River, both up top and down below, along the water’s edge and under the bridge. We will split into two groups. The loose litter up top is easy pickings, while the trash below is more challenging to access. There will be something for everyone and all abilities. We will meet at the stairs of the Promenade, located near Front Street and O Street.
    The Promenade Crew will be on flat land, cleaning along the sidewalk and railroad tracks, removing loose litter and any bulk items that are found up and down the Promenade. We hope to remove trash that is not only a blight but has the high potential for making its way into the river below. This will be a fairly easy and appropriate cleanup for all ages, however, children under 16 must be supervised by an adult.
    For those that enjoy a more challenging cleanup, we will make our way down to the waterline, walking across the uneven rocks, traversing around trees, and down the riverbank. What we find will be pulled up by ropes by a crew up top on the Promenade. There will be lots of walking required to reach this lower area, so sturdy footwear is recommended.
    We recommend closed toed shoes, long sleeves, and pants. RCWA will provide bags and will haul away the trash, but please bring a grabber, 5-gallon bucket, and gloves if you have them. We will have a limited amount of loaner grabbers and gloves available to borrow.
    There is metered street parking at O Street & 2nd Street as well as the Tower Bridge Parking Garage that is close.
    As with all events shared by RCWA, participation is performed solely at your own risk. Please place safety FIRST and do only what you feel comfortable doing. Moreover, participants will be required to sign a Release of Liability Waiver form, if they have not already done so.
    Volunteers Make It Happen! 
    𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
    𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 & 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴
    https://www.facebook.com/rivercitywaterwayalliance/
    https://youtube.com/@rivercitywaterwayalliance4646
    Instagram: @RiverCityWaterwayAlliance
  • ARPF – Great American River Clean-Up
    09:00 -12:00
    09/21/2024

    Join us for American River Parkway Foundation’s largest Clean-Up event of the year, GARCU, September 21st, 2024, 9 AM – 12 PM!

    Whether you’re an individual, group, family, corporation, or high school student, we welcome you to come together and make a difference.

    We have partnered with SacRT, and they are offering free rides to GARCU! Please print or save a copy of the GARCU Flyer to your phone HERE.  Do not forget to present the flyer to a SacRT bus driver or fare inspection staff when asked.

     

    Are you interested in becoming a Site Captain? We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to lead locations by picking necessary supplies beforehand, making sure everything runs smoothly on the day of the event, and returning waivers and event numbers to our ARPF staff afterward. If this sounds like something you’d enjoy doing, we’d love to have you on board as a Site Captain!   

    Please email us at volunteer@arpf.org or call us at (916) 486-2273

     

    Volunteer opportunities for individuals, families, corporations, students, and groups with less than 20 members.

    Register to volunteer by clicking on your desired volunteer location: 

    **Links coming soon**

    • Rossmoor Bar
    • How Ave * 14+
    • Township 9 Park * 18+
    • Cal Expo * 18+

     

    For groups of 20 or more,please see our available locations. To register, please email us at volunteer@arpf.org or call us at (916) 486-2273

    • Township 9 Park * 18+
    • Northgate / Woodlake * 18+
    • Sutter’s Landing * 14+
    • Cal Expo * 18+
    • Northrop Ave * 18+
    • Guy West Bridge *14+
    • Gristmill
    • Sarah Court
    • Ancil Hoffman
    • Rossmoor Bar
    • Sacramento Bar
    • Sailor Bar – Olive Ave Entrance
    • Sailor Bar – Illinois Entrance
    • Nimbus Fish Hatchery
    • Lathrop Way

    *Age Restrictions 

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  • River City Waterway Alliance – HUGE 7-Day Inter Agency Clean-up at Steelhead Creek
    09:00 -12:00
    09/27/2024

    ALL HANDS ON DECK, SEVEN-DAY CLEANUP (Sept 27-Oct 2)!
    We are excited to again join in this HUGE cleanup of this trashed section of Steelhead Creek. This should be the BIGGEST cleanup of the year and will remove trash from the floodplain ahead of the rising waters!
    This cleanup series is organized by RCWA, Dr. Roland Brady and Crystal Tobias (Friends of Steelhead Creek), Sacramento Area Creek Council, the Central Valley Water Quality Control Board, Reclamation District 1000, American River Flood Control District and the City of Sacramento.
    The work site will be on the EAST bank of Steelhead Creek. We will meet at the levee gate on the EAST side of Steelhead Creek. PLEASE be on time (early ok) since we have to lock the gate behind us. At 9:00 am SHARP, we will caravan to the cleanup site. Late comers will not be accommodated. Folks that might need to leave early are welcome.
    The event will range in difficulty from easy to advanced and is not be suitable for children under the age of 16. There will be plenty of hard-core badgering (digging out the big stuff), but also lots of easy detail work along the flat floodplain above the creek. We will provide bags, but please bring along your sturdy footwear, grabbers, buckets, and gloves – a limited number of loaner buckets and grabbers may be available. As there is water in the creek, participants will be required to wear rain boots or waders if they intend to get into the water. Entry into any waters is always optional.
    As with all events shared on our Page, participation is performed solely at your own risk. Please place safety FIRST and do only what you feel comfortable doing. Moreover, participants will be required to sign a Release and Waiver form if they have not done so previously.
    Overall, be safe, have fun and get some “Exercise with a Purpose”!, as Bill Templin says.
    Thank you! 
    River City Waterway Alliance
    “Restoring & Protecting Our Waterways”
    Instagram @RiverCityWaterwayAlliance
    Link to Events:
    https://www.facebook.com/rivercitywaterwayalliance/events
    Link to YouTube Channel:
    https://www.youtube.com/@rivercitywaterwayalliance4646
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  • River City Waterway Alliance – HUGE 7-Day Inter Agency Clean-up at Steelhead Creek (Day 2)
    09:00 -12:00
    09/28/2024

    ALL HANDS ON DECK, SEVEN-DAY CLEANUP (Sept 27-Oct 2)!
    We are excited to again join in this HUGE cleanup of this trashed section of Steelhead Creek. This should be the BIGGEST cleanup of the year and will remove trash from the floodplain ahead of the rising waters!
    This cleanup series is organized by RCWA, Dr. Roland Brady and Crystal Tobias (Friends of Steelhead Creek), Sacramento Area Creek Council, the Central Valley Water Quality Control Board, Reclamation District 1000, American River Flood Control District and the City of Sacramento.
    The work site will be on the EAST bank of Steelhead Creek. We will meet at the levee gate on the EAST side of Steelhead Creek. PLEASE be on time (early ok) since we have to lock the gate behind us. At 9:00 am SHARP, we will caravan to the cleanup site. Late comers will not be accommodated. Folks that might need to leave early are welcome.
    The event will range in difficulty from easy to advanced and is not be suitable for children under the age of 16. There will be plenty of hard-core badgering (digging out the big stuff), but also lots of easy detail work along the flat floodplain above the creek. We will provide bags, but please bring along your sturdy footwear, grabbers, buckets, and gloves – a limited number of loaner buckets and grabbers may be available. As there is water in the creek, participants will be required to wear rain boots or waders if they intend to get into the water. Entry into any waters is always optional.
    As with all events shared on our Page, participation is performed solely at your own risk. Please place safety FIRST and do only what you feel comfortable doing. Moreover, participants will be required to sign a Release and Waiver form if they have not done so previously.
    Overall, be safe, have fun and get some “Exercise with a Purpose”!, as Bill Templin says.
    Thank you! 
    River City Waterway Alliance
    “Restoring & Protecting Our Waterways”
    Instagram @RiverCityWaterwayAlliance
    Link to Events:
    https://www.facebook.com/rivercitywaterwayalliance/events
    Link to YouTube Channel:
    https://www.youtube.com/@rivercitywaterwayalliance4646
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  • River City Waterway Alliance – HUGE 7-Day Inter Agency Clean-up at Steelhead Creek (Day 3)
    09:00 -12:00
    09/29/2024

    ALL HANDS ON DECK, SEVEN-DAY CLEANUP (Sept 27-Oct 2)!
    We are excited to again join in this HUGE cleanup of this trashed section of Steelhead Creek. This should be the BIGGEST cleanup of the year and will remove trash from the floodplain ahead of the rising waters!
    This cleanup series is organized by RCWA, Dr. Roland Brady and Crystal Tobias (Friends of Steelhead Creek), Sacramento Area Creek Council, the Central Valley Water Quality Control Board, Reclamation District 1000, American River Flood Control District and the City of Sacramento.
    The work site will be on the EAST bank of Steelhead Creek. We will meet at the levee gate on the EAST side of Steelhead Creek. PLEASE be on time (early ok) since we have to lock the gate behind us. At 9:00 am SHARP, we will caravan to the cleanup site. Late comers will not be accommodated. Folks that might need to leave early are welcome.
    The event will range in difficulty from easy to advanced and is not be suitable for children under the age of 16. There will be plenty of hard-core badgering (digging out the big stuff), but also lots of easy detail work along the flat floodplain above the creek. We will provide bags, but please bring along your sturdy footwear, grabbers, buckets, and gloves – a limited number of loaner buckets and grabbers may be available. As there is water in the creek, participants will be required to wear rain boots or waders if they intend to get into the water. Entry into any waters is always optional.
    As with all events shared on our Page, participation is performed solely at your own risk. Please place safety FIRST and do only what you feel comfortable doing. Moreover, participants will be required to sign a Release and Waiver form if they have not done so previously.
    Overall, be safe, have fun and get some “Exercise with a Purpose”!, as Bill Templin says.
    Thank you! 
    River City Waterway Alliance
    “Restoring & Protecting Our Waterways”
    Instagram @RiverCityWaterwayAlliance
    Link to Events:
    https://www.facebook.com/rivercitywaterwayalliance/events
    Link to YouTube Channel:
    https://www.youtube.com/@rivercitywaterwayalliance4646
  • River City Waterway Alliance – Family Fun Fest with Preserve the American River
    12:00 -16:00
    09/29/2024
    Please join our great friends and supporters at Preserve the American River for this 4th Annual Family Fun Fest!
    Last year was a great success with close to 500 attendees from Rancho Cordova and surrounding areas. This family oriented event is FREE to enter and slated for Sunday, September 29, 2024 from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm, same location at Stirling Park Drive & Rod Beaudry Drive (near the entrance of River Bend Park). Sponsored in part by the nonprofit SARA (Save the American River Association).
    Once again, it’s sure to be a wonderful afternoon with live animals, nature walks around this scenic and treasured area of our American River Parkway, exhibitor tables, educational sessions, arts & crafts, lunch & beverages, family entertainment, and live music. Attendees will learn about the surrounding area which is rich in history.
    We look forward to seeing them all again this year!
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  • River City Waterway Alliance – HUGE 7-Day Inter Agency Clean-up at Steelhead Creek (Day 4)
    09:00 -12:00
    09/30/2024

    ALL HANDS ON DECK, SEVEN-DAY CLEANUP (Sept 27-Oct 2)!
    We are excited to again join in this HUGE cleanup of this trashed section of Steelhead Creek. This should be the BIGGEST cleanup of the year and will remove trash from the floodplain ahead of the rising waters!
    This cleanup series is organized by RCWA, Dr. Roland Brady and Crystal Tobias (Friends of Steelhead Creek), Sacramento Area Creek Council, the Central Valley Water Quality Control Board, Reclamation District 1000, American River Flood Control District and the City of Sacramento.
    The work site will be on the EAST bank of Steelhead Creek. We will meet at the levee gate on the EAST side of Steelhead Creek. PLEASE be on time (early ok) since we have to lock the gate behind us. At 9:00 am SHARP, we will caravan to the cleanup site. Late comers will not be accommodated. Folks that might need to leave early are welcome.
    The event will range in difficulty from easy to advanced and is not be suitable for children under the age of 16. There will be plenty of hard-core badgering (digging out the big stuff), but also lots of easy detail work along the flat floodplain above the creek. We will provide bags, but please bring along your sturdy footwear, grabbers, buckets, and gloves – a limited number of loaner buckets and grabbers may be available. As there is water in the creek, participants will be required to wear rain boots or waders if they intend to get into the water. Entry into any waters is always optional.
    As with all events shared on our Page, participation is performed solely at your own risk. Please place safety FIRST and do only what you feel comfortable doing. Moreover, participants will be required to sign a Release and Waiver form if they have not done so previously.
    Overall, be safe, have fun and get some “Exercise with a Purpose”!, as Bill Templin says.
    Thank you! 
    River City Waterway Alliance
    “Restoring & Protecting Our Waterways”
    Instagram @RiverCityWaterwayAlliance
    Link to Events:
    https://www.facebook.com/rivercitywaterwayalliance/events
    Link to YouTube Channel:
    https://www.youtube.com/@rivercitywaterwayalliance4646
October
October
October
October
October
Man walking dog

Pet waste is a significant, yet preventable, water pollutant. Please clean up after your pet!

Not all bugs are bad! Learn how
good bugs can defend your home
against pests

Landscape and Nursery Expo

Businesses from all around participate in this annual event. Residents can learn various landscape techniques as well as purchase supplies, equipment, and attend educational seminars.

Tuesday, May 3

For More Information

Contact the Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership at

ssqpinfo@cityofsacramento.org
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