Atascadero Creek maintenance work

August 31, 2026

A neighbor that borders a portion of Atascadero Creek notified ALPS about a log jam in the creek bed. The recent news about a strong El Nino bringing greater rainfall has put more importance on keeping the creek in good condition.  ALPS Board Members met with the neighbor to come up with a plan to mitigate the log jam and remove the garbage that had collected.

To ALPS delight, the California Conservation Corp (CCC) came to the rescue providing a crew to come out for a day to remove the trash and cut up the log jam and remove much of the debris.  With the neighbors cooperation and under ALPS supervision, the CCC crew was able to wade into the creek and remove many bags of trash and two shopping carts. The CCC crew was then able to cut up the log jam and remove the debris.  This work greatly lessened the blockage and will allow the creek to flow freely in this area.

This was also a chance to chat with the neighbors about removal of invasive species growing within the creek, namely the Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) which grow rapidly, is highly invasive and crowds out other native plants.