About Forsyth Creek Week

Our water is our lifeforce. In our area, we get our drinking water from Salem Lake and the Yadkin River. As Forsyth County develops, our human impact on the environment increases. Our waterways are degraded by pollutants like oil, gas, trash, sediment, pet waste, fertilizer, and more.

Wildlife and humans both rely on healthy surface waters. Degraded water quality makes the creeks unlivable for aquatic insects like mayfly larvae, dragonfly larvae, crawdads, and snails, as well as fish and amphibians like salamanders and frogs. These organisms form the base of the food web in Winston-Salem, serving as food sources for bigger animals like turtles, snakes, birds, and coyotes. Our kids and dogs play in the creeks – we want the water to be clean so they don’t get sick. Without clean water, we all suffer.

It’s our collective responsibility to protect our water. We can do that by learning about the issues that face our waterways and getting involved. Attend educational Creek Week events, put some gloves on and clean up a creek, or pick up some native plants to install on your riverbank. There’s something for everybody during Forsyth Creek Week.