A twenty-year vision to revitalize a Southwest Santa Rosa waterway is finally becoming a reality.
Per the Press Democrat, volunteers spent the weekend planting thousands of native trees and shrubs along a newly restored stretch of Colgan Creek. The project, which has been in development since 1999, has successfully transformed a once-polluted, concrete-lined channel into a meandering natural stream.
The eleven-million-dollar restoration widened the creek to prevent flooding and added a mile-long paved trail for cyclists and pedestrians. Ecologists say the work is already paying off, with otters, herons, and egrets returning to the area.
But the improvements don’t stop at the water’s edge. City officials say the next step is building a brand-new, three-acre neighborhood park along the creek bank to address the long-standing shortage of green space in Southwest Santa Rosa.
Construction on that park is expected to begin by 2027.
