Kathleen Harris and Kimra McAfee of Friends of Sausal Creek stop and chat along the Dimond Canyon Ridgeview Trail in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011. Sudden oak death is showing up in the Berkeley hills and because of that some trees are being tested. (Sherry LaVars/Staff) ( Sherry LaVars )

OAKLAND — Friends of Sausal Creek, a nonprofit whose volunteers restore and maintain creeks and parklands within the watershed zone stretching from the foothills to San Francisco Bay, kicked off its 20th anniversary by announcing that its next efforts include revitalizing areas below Interstate 580.

The nonprofit has partnered with East Coast environmental consultant Skeo Solutions, which chose the Sausal Creek watershed as its West Coast pilot project. Together, they hope to create a walkable watershed, an initiative "linking water quality, community health and smart growth." According to a news release, the volunteer group will receive $50,000 worth of "visioning and strategy work, technical analysis, community engagement and the creation of a detailed concept plan."

The Sausal Creek watershed, one of nine major creeks in Oakland, runs through the center of the city. The green, peaceful and idyllic trails, such as in Dimond Canyon Park, feel miles away from the bustle and concrete of an urban city. FOSC founders and early volunteers remember a time when the area was much less inviting.

"People didn't feel comfortable there," said Kathy Kramer, one of the original founders, about what the area was like in 1996. "It was very dark and overgrown."

Volunteers started by picking up trash and removing non-native plants such as ivy, acacia and Monterey pine.

"As a result of improving that space, illegal activities like drug use, prostitution and gun play decreased," said founding board member Mark Rauzon. "It's a phenomenal thing that we ... this group of people (are) willing to take on a public space."


In addition to donations, the efforts have been funded by grants from Alameda County and the city of Oakland. In the last year, 4,000 volunteers have put in 10,000 hours into maintaining the watershed. Volunteers also monitor water quality and results suggest the creek is cleaner today than it was a decade ago.

Another victory came unexpectedly in 2000 after nearby city sewer lines were replaced and creek banks were secured with rocks and wooden stakes. Instead of drying up that summer, the creek continued to flow, encouraging the return of rainbow trout that can now be found throughout the watershed.

"We're moving down the watershed into less accessible lands but with the same vision," said Kimra McAfee, who has been the executive director of FOSC for the past six years. Nearly half of Sausal Creek flows through lush terrain and is above ground, the second half is located below Interstate 580 and is mostly in culverts or channels. "We don't know how to engage the community in a different way than we have for 20 years."

Although the large majority of the lower watershed is underground, inaccessible or runs through private property, the goal is to call attention to its presence through other means, which is what the Walkable Watershed hopes to achieve.

"If people aren't aware (of it), then they aren't aware that the things they do every day affect the creek," McAfee said.

The organization hopes to eliminate trash accumulation near storm drains and other watershed access points.

"At this point, it's really important for us to listen to the community," McAfee said. "We want to work with the community and the community leaders to figure out what the plan is."

With the help of Skeo Solutions, the nonprofit hopes to organize field trips for children at the schools along the creek, as well as find creative and meaningful ways to "highlight the natural and cultural history of that landscape," McAfee said.

The FOSC has also partnered with the National Parks Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program and California State University-East Bay in order to engage local youth and pursue future projects.