Marsh Creek begins its 30-mile journey in the rugged hills of Morgan Territory north of Livermore. Fed by springs and seasonal rains, the creek tumbles along the eastern flanks of Mount Diablo, through canyons sheltered by oaks, buckeyes and bay trees. Leaving Mount Diablo, the creek flows through emerald green grasslands that come alive each spring with explosions of colorful wildflowers.

After gracing the hills and fields of Round Valley Regional Preserve just south of Brentwood, the creek courses its way through lands destined to become the new John Marsh/Cowell Ranch State Park. The creek then meanders through the heart of Brentwood, continuing on through Oakley, where its waters end their journey in the Delta at Big Break.

Although the creek changes its character and appearance on its journey from Morgan Territory to the Delta, one thing is constant: Marsh Creek remains an irreplaceable natural resource that has for centuries enriched and benefited the land, the wildlife and the human communities through which it flows.

Today, however, modern-day Marsh Creek needs the help and support of the communities it graces. The City of Brentwood Parks and Recreation Department and the California Coastal Commission are inviting the public to the Marsh Creek Clean-Up and Celebration at Creekside Park in Brentwood on Saturday, Sept. 16.



Students pore over the hands-on nature exhibit.

The festivities begin at 9 a.m. at Creekside Park. Volunteers are asked to bring sturdy shoes, work gloves, and lots of community spirit as they pick up trash and help to restore habitat along stretches of Marsh Creek.

Following the clean-up, everyone is invited to a celebration of the natural and human communities that rely on Marsh Creek. Starting at 11 a.m., participants can enjoy many fun games and activities. There will be face painting, planter box building, nature-art activities, and a salmon-run obstacle course game. The clean-up crew can also learn more about Marsh Creek and the wildlife that depends on it, about water quality in the community, and the many ways the creek can be kept clean. Participants will find out why huge chinook salmon visit Marsh Creek every year, and what the Friends of Marsh Creek Watershed are doing to help them - all this while enjoying the music of the Liberty High Jazz Band, and a free picnic lunch for all creek cleaners.

Creekside Park in Brentwood, the site of the festivities, is a perfect venue for the Marsh Creek Clean-Up. This unique park combines traditional neighborhood park amenities with a natural, tree-lined creek corridor that enriches and sustains both natural and human communities. You'll find it at 1010 Claremont, south of Balfour at Minnesota.

Some of the local businesses and agencies supporting the Clean-Up include OneTen Magazine, Home Depot, Safeway, 1-800-Got-Junk, DeltaPure Water, Kinkos, Starbucks, Rena's Signs and the Contra Costa Resource Conservation District.