Arcade Creek Watershed | Watershed Management

Watershed Management

The Arcade Creek Watershed has tremendous potential. The City of Sacramento and its partners are committed to improving the area so that this special place can be fully enjoyed by nearby residents and local wildlife. A healthy Arcade Creek Watershed benefits everyone by:

Providing clean water for our homes. Improving water quality in the Watershed will also benefit downstream resources in the Sacramento River and the Sacramento Bay-Delta - two significant water supplies for the Sacramento region and beyond.
Reducing flooding by naturally slowing storm waters. Decreasing floodwater damage is important to home and business owners along the creek; for protection of roads, bridges, utilities, and other public works; and for the region's overall economy.
Providing valuable habitat for wildlife to flourish. Urban development has resulted in a decline in native habitat, reduced the number of upstream areas where animals can escape to during floods, and introduced new predators such as domestic cats and dogs.
Offering recreational opportunities for families, schools and neighbors. Providing additional public access points and trails in the remaining natural areas of the watershed will help minimize impacts on trails and creek crossings and improve public safety. Education about the benefits of the watershed will also enhance recreational experiences.
Enhancing the urban community with open-space settings that take us away from busy city life. Arcade Creek offers a unique natural setting for area residents to enjoy in their urban environment. A restored, more inviting local nature area may encourage residents to recreate closer to home rather than driving longer distances to access nature areas outside of the area.

The City of Sacramento first began focusing on the Arcade Creek watershed in 2000, when it held a watershed management workshop that focused on urban watersheds. Out of this workshop came a pilot program that focused on the Arcade Creek and Laguna Creek watersheds. The City received Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Water Resources grants for the first phase of the pilot program. Phase I included:

Formation of the Arcade Creek Watershed Group
Preparation of a Feasibility Study. The feasibility study focused on a 4.5 mile reach of Arcade Creek (Marysville Boulevard to Sacramento city limits) and studied factors that affect water quality; flood control opportunities and constraints; recreation opportunities and constraints; general recommendations for improving creek health; and specific restoration projects that would meet multiple objectives.
Preparation of the Arcade Creek Corridor Plan. The Acacde Creek Corridor Plan studied the overall health of the channel and riparian vegetation along the same 4.5-mile reach as the feasibility study, and provided more detail on specific restoration projects.

The City has now entered Phase II of the watershed management plan, which will:

Increase public participation and education
Expand the Phase I Watershed Management Plan
Develop an Invasive Species Control Plan, and
Construct the Del Paso Park Wetland

Check back soon for more updates on these projects!

For More Information

Please visit the Web sites below to find more information on how you can help preserve and protect the Arcade Creek Watershed and other local waterways.

Mosquito Vector Control

Solid Waste Management

Shrubbery and Tree Maintenance

Volunteer and other informational resources

Dry Creek Conservancy
Urban Creek Council
Sacramento River Watershed Program
American River Parkway Foundation
Dry Creek Conservancy
Save the American River Association
Sacramento County Resource Conservation Districts
Watershed Groups in California-UC Davis
California Watershed Portal is a joint web site created by the Cal/EPA and Resources Agency to provide on-line tools, data, information, and links to the California watershed communities.
The California Watershed Assessment Manual (CWAM) provides information and guidance to assist watershed assessors. The CWAM is a procedural guide that should be useful to a variety of watershed stakeholders.
The California Watershed Network (CWN) is a non-profit organization with the mission to help people preserve and restore California's watershed habitats while ensuring healthy and sustainable communities.
The Joint Task Force on California Watershed Management is the Web page of the former Joint Task Force on California Watershed Management. The task force assisted in the planning and execution of the State's Watershed Management plan. Included on this Web site is the 2002 Final Report of the Task Force on the current status of watershed management in California. Links to other California watershed information can also be found on this page.
The CALFED Watershed Program was established as an aid to achieving the overarching goal of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program to restore ecological health and improve water management by increasing community involvement at the local watershed level.
The BDPAC Watershed Subcommittee (formerly known as the Watershed Work Group) was formed to assist in the development and implementation of CALFED's Watershed Program Plan.