The 7th annual Creek Week gets going Saturday with a cleanup at Runyon Lake. Public and group cleanup activities run through Oct. 4.
Creek Week started in 2014 as a way to clean the Fountain Creek Watershed. There are over 40 public cleanup events from Palmer Lake to Pueblo this year. Eight communities, from Colorado Springs to Fountain, participate in the event put on by the Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District..
Volunteers can sign up to clean specific sites in groups or attend public cleanups at locations throughout the region. Group sizes are limited due to COVID-19. While the event is outdoors, gloves, masks and social distancing are required.
Watershed Outreach Coordinator Alli Schuch said the outdoor event is still going strong even with COVID-19 precautions in place.
Last year over 3,000 people cleaned up 14 tons of litter throughout the week. Schuch said volunteer participation is slightly lower this year, with over 2,000 people signed up so far. She says large group participation, like schools, have decreased due to coronavirus.
The watershed drains to the Arkansas River in Pueblo and eventually ends up in the Gulf of Mexico.
