City of Oakland California

The City of Oakland Public Works Agency wishes to thank all the volunteers who helped make Creek to Bay Day 2011 a great success! Oakland’s 16th annual Creek to Bay Day took place at Lake Merritt, the Oakland Estuary and 29 creek locations on Saturday, September 17 as part of California Coastal Cleanup Day.

Committed volunteers from Oakland and beyond gathered under sunny skies to clean and beautify Oakland’s waterways. In addition to the 1,210 volunteers participating in Creek to Bay Day, hundreds more gathered along the shoreline at cleanup sites managed by the East Bay Regional Parks District and the Port of Oakland. In total, 1,678 volunteers came out to City of Oakland, East Bay Regional Parks District and Port of Oakland sites to improve the condition of Oakland’s waterways and their surroundings. Over 9,000 pounds of trash were collected from Oakland’s creeks, the estuary and Lake Merritt; 213 pounds of recyclables picked up; and 340 cubic yards of greenwaste removed to make way for native plants to flourish. Creek to Bay Day is held in conjunction with International Coastal Cleanup Day and is sponsored in California by the California Coastal Commission. By current count, the statewide event turned out 62,963 volunteers who removed 523,201 pounds of trash and 68,543 pounds of recyclables!

There are many people who deserve special recognition for their role in making Creek to Bay Day 2011 our most successful to date. Creek to Bay Day would not be possible without the enthusiasm and commitment from the Community Site Coordinators who arranged for great projects to take place at our 29 locations. The support from Keep Oakland Beautiful and Alameda County Public Works Agency, year after year, is also integral to the success of the event.

Finally, we wish to acknowledge and thank the following businesses for donating food and refreshments to volunteer sites around the city: Crystal Geyser, It's A Grind Coffee, Noah's Bagels, Numi Tea, Safeway, Starbucks and Whole Foods.

You can also stay connected with the Creek to Bay Protection Program and view photos from volunteer activities on Creek to Bay Day 2011 through our Facebook page! Connect with us at Oakland Creek to Bay.  

View Creek to Bay Day 2011 in a larger map

The City of Oakland Public Works Agency offers a wide variety of volunteer opportunities. We encourage individuals with disabilities to volunteer their time and efforts. Some volunteer opportunities may be located in areas without a designed path of travel and may require significant physical labor. To discuss available volunteer opportunities, please contact the Creek to Bay Day Coordinator at (510)238-7611 or creektobayprotection@oaklandnet.com.

Have questions? See our Frequently Asked Questions document for useful event information. For additional information or to join the mailing list for announcements of this and other citywide creek cleanups, please contact the Environmental Services Division at creektobayprotection@oaklandnet.com or call the Public Works Agency Event Hotline Number at (510) 238-7611.