Planting Dry Creek in Winters

Join Putah Creek Council and community volunteers to help plant native shrubs and grasses along Dry Creek, a major tributary to Putah Creek. The new plantings will provide food and shelter to wildlife, and help protect water quality by  preventing erosion and filtering runoff.

This event is part of a three-year project to help repair damage caused by illegal vehicles on creeks in the Putah Creek watershed.

• Putah Creek Council provides all the plants, tools, gloves, and other supplies.
• Dress appropriately for the weather in clothes that can get dirty and closed-toe shoes.
• Rain or shine event - mud boots and ponchos will be supplied if needed.
• We'll work from 9:30 a.m. - noon. 
• Volunteers will meet at the Winters Joint Unified School District Office parking lot, 909 Grant Avenue. 
• Registration link and map with directions are below.

Why is Dry Creek important?

Although the Dry Creek channel is dry most of the year, it is an important tributary to Putah Creek because in winter, the channel fills with water and carries gravel and cobble into gravel-starved Putah Creek. Gravel is a crucial element in creeks because it provides habitat for insects and spawning areas for fish. 

Additionally, because Dry Creek is ephemeral, the exotic invasive New Zealand mud snail cannot survive there. The New Zealand mud snail endangers the food chain by outcompeting native snails and water insects for food, leading to sharp declines in the native populations. Fish populations then suffer because the native snails and insects are their main food source. Dry Creek is home to many native insects, and when it flows, it helps replenish the food chain in Putah Creek.