THROUGH THE ADOPT-A-CREEK volunteer program, the City of Oakland, Public Works Agency provides a unique opportunity for individuals, neighborhood groups, civic organizations, and businesses to play an active and ongoing role in cleaning, greening, and maintaining neighborhood creeks.

Adopt-a-Creek participants adopt an area of creek and make a commitment to regularly clean and beautify a public creek area. Beautifying a spot can include:

• regularly picking up trash
• planting site-appropriate native plants, and/or removing non-native plants
• studying and reporting on water quality and habitat
• removing graffiti

The City will provide adopters with site assessment, tool lending, trash pickup and will post a sign recognizing the adopting individual(s) or group. In order to qualify as an Adopt-a-Creek:

• the area must be in need of improvement
• the area may not be private property
• the adopter must make a one-year commitment to the area.

To get started, please read the Adopt-a-Spot Agreement.