City of Oakland California

Healthy watersheds are a vital component of a healthy urban environment. Oakland's watershed is comprised of 15 main creeks, over 30 tributaries, Lake Merritt and the Estuary. Click here to see a map of Oakland’s creeks (click here for Spanish, and here for Chinese map versions).  These creeks and waterways provide numerous functions, both ecological and hydrological. In addition to their recreational and aesthetic benefits, creeks enhance biodiversity, provide habitat, recharge groundwater and reduce erosion. Because of these unique and precious resources, the City of Oakland has made the environmental protection of its creeks and waterways a priority. Oakland’s watershed programs focus on:

• Protecting and enhancing creek habitat and water quality
• Limiting water pollution caused by urban development & runoff
• Minimizing trash & illegal dumping in our waterways
• Educating residents and businesses about watershed impacts and pollution prevention
• Cultivating stewardship of our watershed resources through volunteerism

Sausal Creek Restoration Project
The City of Oakland completed restoration and daylighting of and 800 foot stretch of Sausal Creek in Dimond Park in 2016. Visit our Sausal Creek Project page for more details. 

Technical Assistance Program for Food Service Establishments to Reduce Disposables                                                                                                                                                                                                    ReThink Disposable is a free technical assistance program that helps food businesses implement best management practices to reduce waste, eliminate potential for litter and cut costs by minimizing disposable product usage. If you are a caterer, a mobile food vendor or a restaurant here is more information about the program.

Lake Merritt Gateway to Bay Reopened
The City of Oakland removed the dam, culverts and 12-lane "mini-freeway" at 12th Street, widening the tidal channel connecting Lake Merritt to the Oakland Estuary and San Francisco Bay. The channel is now a 100-foot-wide, free flowing tidal channel that enhances the Lake's water quality. The channel widening was discussed in these articles in the San Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle and CBS news.

Restrictions on Pest Control Operators in Your Home
Consumers looking to hire a professional pest control operator should be aware of regulations on pesticide use around homes, other structures and landscaped areas. Perimeter spraying of pesticides can cause water pollution and other more sustainable pest management options can be found on BayWise.org.

The City's Creek to Bay Protection Program strives to prevent pollution and other degradation of Oakland's creeks, Lake Merritt and the Estuary through watershed stewardship and education. Partially funded by grants from the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Creek to Bay Protection Program supports:

• Community-based & city-wide Creek Cleanups including Creek to Bay Day and Earth Day
• Creek Adoptions through Oakland Adopt a Spot  
• Lake Merritt Water Quality Improvements via Clean Lake Initiative 
• Watershed Education through dissemination of watershed outreach materials

The Watershed & Stormwater Management Program works to reduce polluted stormwater runoff–protecting the water quality in our creeks and San Francisco Bay. Runoff that occurs from a rain event is called stormwater runoff and is a natural hydrologic process. Stormwater pollution occurs in urban areas and in land that has been disturbed. Water running over these areas carries dirt, oil, trash and plastic and other pollutants into our creeks, lakes and Bay. Oakland collaborates with neighboring cities in a countywide effort to reduce stormwater pollution. For more information on stormwater programs, please visit the Clean Water Program. 

Fats, Oil & Grease - FOG
Did you know that rinsing oily sauces, salad dressing and greasy food scraps down the drain may contribute to sewer overflows onto your property, and into your neighborhood and the Bay? Visit the FOG webpage for tips on keeping FOG out of your drains.

Hundreds of volunteers across Oakland have adopted storm drains to help their neighborhoods prepare for rainstorms. It doesn't take much to keep a storm drain clear. A little volunteer effort goes a long way in helping Public Works maintain over 7,500 storm drains to reduce flooding and prevent pollution of our waterways. When you sign up to Adopt a Drain, you become eligible for City tools and supplies, and will receive the City's rain alert notifications.

Click here to watch our Adopt a Drain video.

Sign up at www.AdoptaDrainOakland.com.

Outreach Resources for Adopt a Drain:

Click here for the City's Adopt a Drain volunteer program outreach flyer, español (Spanish), 中文 (Chinese), Vietnamese

Click here for practical information and tips for storm drain volunteers, español (Spanish), 中文 (Chinese)

Oakland's creeks are a valuable resource to the City. Creeks help to remove water pollutants, provide flood control and stormwater drainage, offer wildlife habitat and improve quality of life by enhancing access to our natural environment. With funds from county, state and federal grants – and most importantly, with community support – the Watershed and Stormwater Management Program has been able to begin restoring certain stretches of Oakland creeks and setting aside specific areas to enhance creek protection.

To see our current and past Watershed Projects visit our project page.

The City has installed an art project that draws attention to the creeks and watersheds of Oakland.

Former creeks, now buried in culverts, are memorialized by a series of bronze relief sculptures embedded into sidewalks at locations above these culverts. The pieces portray stepping stones surrounded by native fauna that inhabit the creeks such as Rainbow Trout, Pacific Chorus Frogs, California Newts and dragonflies. Each site features five bronze “stepping stones” inviting the visitor to step across as if crossing a creek.

Slow the Flow, Save the Creeks
Our Rain Barrel Program was a three-year initiative that provided subsidized rain barrels to Oakland residents, schools, churches and nonprofits. The program also provided cistern demonstration projects, education workshops and green job training for youth interns. The subsidized rain barrel program is now closed. We appreciate your interest in rainwater harvesting. Through this program's efforts, City residents established roughly 400,000 gallons of rainwater harvesting capacity. Thank you for being a good water steward! Please review information and resources on rainwater catchment systems.

Oakland's stormwater ordinance includes guidelines for development and construction projects taking place in or near creeks (since 1997). The intent of the ordinance is to minimize negative impacts to creeks associated with development or construction on  creekside properties. For more information on this ordinance, the Creek Protection Permit and application materials, please visit Oakland’s Community and Economic Development Building Services website. "Creeks 101" is an educational slide show outlining what is a creek, why creeks are important, and the beneficial and deleterious impacts of different types of development on creeks.

• Permitting Guide
• How to Comply
• Click here for a print-friendly version of the Ordinance