Calendar

Clean up location: 1633 Dreher Street

Due to a concerted effort by RCWA volunteers and Sacramento County Regional Parks, all the heaping piles of trash along the Sacramento Northern Bikeway Trail Bridge (the Pipe Bridge) are quickly vanishing! Nevertheless, there are still a few trashy spots left so we are headed back.

We will focus on the steep, rocky river banks, where no one else will go. There will also be plenty of easy trash nearby for those not able to brave the steep banks. There should be something for everyone.  Sturdy footwear, long pants and long-sleeve shirts are highly recommended. This will be a difficult level event with a moderate walk.

We have permission to park on top of the levee. At 8:15 am, we will form a caravan starting at 1633 Dreher Street (located off North 16th Street just before Capitol Casino) and drive in together. The gate will be closed and locked at 8:30 am sharp, so please be early.

This event is not suitable for minors under 14 years old. Minors older than 14 must be supervised by a responsible adult during the entire event.

Fair Oaks Horticulture Center (map and directions)
11549 Fair Oaks Boulevard
Fair Oaks, CA 95628

Join UC Master Gardeners on Thursday evening. Peruse at your own pace through the Water-Efficient Landscape gardens full of blooming perennials. Wonder among fragrant culinary herbs, raised vegetable beds, fruit orchards, citrus trees, berry varieties, and table grapes in the vineyard. A large compost area is past the pond and up the hill, teaching ways to turn kitchen and yard waste into soil amendment. Don’t miss the working red wigglers in the worm bin, and learn how to start a bin at your home.

Open gardens are informal FREE events where you roam the gardens, watch what we are doing, see what we are growing and ask questions. Bring samples of your problem plants, mystery pests and questions to the “Ask the Master Gardeners” information table.  Get one-on-one advice based on the most recent research-based sustainable practices.

All areas are staffed with Master Gardeners: grapes, herbs, fruit trees, citrus, vegetables, berries, composting, and water-efficient landscape gardens.

This event will coincide with the Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District’s monthly food truck mania and car show.

Located outside–rain or heat wave.

No pets, please!

Clean up location: 4740 Pasadena Avenue

We made so much progress completing the 1.5 mile stretch upstream from the Capital City Freeway over the past month that we are advancing our Maintenance Mode sweeps all the way to Pasadena Avenue! From there, we will retreat downstream slightly, then work upstream (hopefully all the way to College Oak Drive by American River College). This is a stretch we haven’t needed to visit since way back in August of last year.

For this cleanup, we will park on a local neighbor’s property on Pasadena Avenue (with permission). Please note, we will park on the NORTH side of the creek – there is no vehicle bridge over the creek from Winding Way so please check your directions closely before embarking.   We will start PROMPTLY at 8:30 am so please arrive a few minutes early to get settled and unpacked.

Please bring lots of water and only do what you are comfortable doing. The creek is fairly dry making trash and debris easily accessible and visible.  Rain boots or sturdy shoes and long shirts/pants are advised.

This event is not suitable for minors under 12 years old. Minors 12 or older must be supervised by a responsible adult during the entire event.

Clean up location: 3270 Norwood Avenue

Since January 2023, River City Waterway Alliance has hosted more than 700 volunteer cleanup events during which its volunteers have helped remove over 2.8 Million Pounds of trash and debris from Sacramento area waterways. Please join us for this great collaborative event with Caltrans!

****𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 – 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐩 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐈𝐧 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑 𝐭𝐨 8:3𝟎 𝐚.𝐦.

We have hosted more than 90 cleanups of Arcade Creek at this project site, where over 800,000 lbs of trash and encampment debris have already been removed since February 2024. We will continue removing the piles of trash in this stretch of Arcade Creek in this area. This event will also be conducted in coordination with Forensiclean who has graciously agreed to haul off all of the trash and encampment debris collected during this event!

This will be a 14-and-over event. All minors must be accompanied by an adult during the entire event.

Clean up location: 6306 Garfield Avenue

We will be returning to Copper Creek for a post-rains Mop Up. After 4 huge cleanups during late 2024, winter flows scoured out loose sand, exposing another layer of trash and debris. This tributary flows, unabated, into Arcade Creek and was identified as a major source of downstream pollution last year.

We plan to clean start on the north side of Greenback Lane, then move downstream south of Greenback. The area contains oak groves and grassy areas, with loose trash bulk times in the creek, and upper floodplain. Boots are recommended, but waders will not be necessary.

Please park in the Quiznos parking lot on the southeast corner of Greenback Lane & Garfield Avenue. We will gather our items and cross the street at the light.

This will be a 14-and-Over event. All minors must be accompanied by an adult during the entire event.

IMPORTANT EVENT INFO

Participation in any event hosted by River City Waterway Alliance (RCWA) is at your own risk and requires that you agree to hold harmless any organizer, person, and/or partner entities involved.  All RCWA volunteers will be required to sign a liability waiver prior to participating.

SAFETY FIRST!  We strongly recommend that volunteers come prepared with good quality gloves, plus sturdy closed-toed shoes.  Event cleanup sites may have potential hazards, such as poison oak; uneven, wet, muddy or slippery terrain; insects; and/or hazardous materials.  As such, long-sleeves, long pants and a sun-protective hat are advised, as well as making sure you are updated on your tetanus shot.  A safety talk will be given prior to the start of all events.

Events hosted by RCWA have a range of difficulty levels based on the terrain, type of debris and tasks needed.  There is something for all physical abilities, and all volunteer contributions are welcome and appreciated. Please only do what is best for YOU and your physical abilities and interest level.  Unless otherwise specified, events are suitable only for older teens (14+) and adults.  All minors must be supervised by a responsible adult for the duration of the event.

RCWA will provide bags, but please bring along your grabbers, buckets, and gloves, as well as your own water and snacks – a limited number of loaner buckets, grabbers or gloves may be available. Please, no dogs.  We also encourage you to stretch, hydrate, apply sunscreen, and make sure you are properly fueled prior to the event.

Finally, THANK YOU for volunteering to clean up our city’s waterways.

Want to learn how to manage pests without pesticides? In this webinar we will review nonchemical pest management practices as alternatives to pesticides in the home and garden.  Register here