Creek Week 2023: Cleaning Up Colorado Springs With Fountain Creek Watershed
Partnering With Fountain Creek Watershed
On Oct. 1, 2023, Budget Dumpster donated two dumpsters to the 10th annual Creek Week cleanup in Colorado Springs. We helped haul away 13.5 tons of trash and debris from Fountain Creek, making this one of the most successful Creek Week cleanups yet.
“2023 was our best and biggest year for Creek Week yet. We’re already thinking about ways we can top it for year 11!”
Hannah Mooney, Outreach Coordinator at Fountain Creek Watershed
About Fountain Creek Watershed
Fountain Creek runs through El Paso and Pueblo counties in Colorado Springs and is approximately 74.5 miles long. Representatives from local cities manage the Fountain Creek Watershed District, including Fountain, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. The District’s primary responsibilities are protecting open space, addressing water quality issues and improving drainage around the area.
The 10th Annual Creek Week Cleanup
In 2014, community members in the Fountain Creek Watershed banded together to clean up unsightly litter and trash polluting the area. Allison Schuch, now executive director of the Watershed District, led the effort and dubbed the event “Creek Week.” What began as a small volunteer event has become the largest cleanup in Colorado Springs. In 10 years, more than 21,500 volunteers have pulled 152.2 tons of litter and debris from the creek.
“Creek Week was an amazing success because of our volunteers and sponsors. Working with Budget Dumpster was great, and we’re so thankful for the two dumpsters we received.”
Hannah Mooney, Outreach Coordinator at Fountain Creek Watershed
This year, 76 volunteer groups participated in Creek Week. One of them is Trash Fairies, a group that regularly partners with the Fountain Creek Watershed.
Volunteer Spotlight: Trash Fairies
While riding her bike along Fountain Creek, Tiffany Scott was shocked by the amount of trash she saw floating in the water. “It was heartbreaking to see,” she said. “My husband, Luke, and I made a pinky-promise that we were going to do something about it.” Trash Fairies came from that promise back in 2016, a volunteer group that has tirelessly served the Colorado Springs community ever since.
“A lot of people litter and think their trash will magically disappear. That’s why we call ourselves the Trash Fairies – we’re the ‘magical’ people who take trash where it’s supposed to go.”
Tiffany Scott, Co-Founder of Trash Fairies
Trash Fairies has participated in eight Creek Week cleanups to date. The organization partners with Westside Cares, a local nonprofit that provides crisis human services, to enlist help for their cleanup events. “One thing I’ll say, our volunteers from Westside Cares are fearless,” said Luke Scott. “They’ll march into Fountain Creek and pull out whatever they can find.”
“Trash isn’t a homeless problem, it’s a people problem. We’re all a part of the problem, and we need to be the solution.”
Tiffany Scott, Co-Founder of Trash Fairies
In addition to partnering with Fountain Creek Watershed, Trash Fairies regularly works with the Great American Cleanup and local municipalities for community cleanups. Regardless of who they’re partnering with or what they’re cleaning up, members of the Trash Fairies have one common goal: to beautify Colorado Springs and its surrounding suburbs.
“Our biggest challenge is always physically getting rid of trash, which makes dumpsters so important. We’re beyond grateful to Budget Dumpster for making this cleanup seamless.”
Tiffany Scott, Co-Founder of Trash Fairies
Give Back to Your Community
If you’re looking for ways to give back to your community, try planning an event of your own. We’ll help you get started, whether you’re coordinating a waterway cleanup or preserving a historic building.