Community Environment Government

Rotary Club offers to organize North Creek restoration efforts

The Rotary Club of Gig Harbor may take the lead on long-term improvements to the North Creek — also known as Donkey Creek — watershed and stream.

“The work that’s done [on North Creek] has been haphazard and off and on,” Rotary Club member Gary Glein said while presenting the proposal to the city Parks Commission on May 6.

He said several people, including biologists in official reports, have noted that the creek needs substantial, ongoing work. The Rotary Club would like to contribute by helping coordinate volunteers to get an ongoing project started.

“Each year,” he continued, “you identify the things that are high priority, mobilize volunteers, and go do it.”

The mouth of North Creek, AKA Donkey Creek, near the Harbor History Museum. Vince Dice

Monitoring health, watching for salmon

For instance, he said, volunteers could help monitor water turbidity (the clarity of the water) and temperature, as well as check the stream for salmon return. Volunteers could also remove invasive plants, like English ivy and blackberry; encourage property owners to limit runoff of storm water, animal waste and fertilizer; plant trees and stream-side shrubs; and create educational signage.

Glein said the volunteers’ work would not interfere with paid union workers’ jobs.

“We did work on Crescent Creek Park two years ago in preparation for working on, and we cleared that in advance,” he said. “Usually, we haven’t had objections to that. We’re not doing large quantities of work, and it’s mobilizing. And part of mobilizing a lot of volunteers [is] we’re building community support for the environment and the importance of the environment.”

The Rotary Club stated in documents submitted to the Parks Commission it would look to the city, the Puyallup Tribe, the Great Peninsula Conservancy, and the state’s Fish and Wildlife Department, and potentially other organizations for technical support. The club also said it would review other successful efforts, like cleanup work on the Clear Creek Trail in Silverdale.

Commissioners’ views and next steps

“I own part of North Creek, and I’m all for it,” Parks Commission Vice Chair Hanley Bonynge said. He said that a subdivision near him purges its water system uphill from the creek, which picks up “all kinds of debris,” on its way down. That makes it into the creek and makes the stream sandy.

“Nature recovers quickly if you let it,” said commission Chair Louise Tieman. “And so I’m very supportive of that. I’m excited genuinely about it.”

Parks Manager Jennifer Haro said the city will soon open a new trail in the txʷaalqəł Conservation Area, of which North Creek is a part. The city hopes to have signage up for that trail this month.

Haro also noted that the city has a few more trails to build, and remove both the culvert and a foundation of a ruined house. She said that the city hasn’t decided how to remove them yet, but that it is not a safety hazard.

Parks commissioners recommended that staff start working with the Rotary on an enhancement and restoration project and partnership. Glein noted that the club would love to get going before the salmon return later in the year, but a few hurdles remain. 

City staff still need to work with the Rotary Club to bring a proposal back to the Parks Commission for recommendations and approval. Then it must go to the city council for final approval.

“My hope is that we get approval for going ahead,” Glein said. “And then we need to really access the experts, the biologists, and start planning that, and get started.”