Most people hardly notice the creeks in Sacramento. They’re mostly hidden in chanelized ditches behind suburban fences and feared for their potential to cause flooding. It makes me sad. Creeks have so much potential – what is better than creekside dining or a pleasant walks along the bank under the big trees that love the water enjoying all the birds and wildlife.
San Luis Obispo has a great downtown creek. Walkways and gardens line it and there are stepping stones to cross when the water is low enough. It’s in the historic downtown and draws gobs of tourists to restaurants with seating along the creek. It’s also been the source of major flooding.
Couldn’t we do this in Sacramento – at least in a few places that could be nodes and eventually create some whole creekside districts? Florin Creek or parts of Arcade Creek could be candidates and leverage flood control funding with restoration and development opportunities. Next time we see an opportunity to create a restoration project like this with economic benefits we need to jump on it – the potential is too great to miss!
Sacramento Park City 