Temescal Creek is Flowing Again at Frog Park

by Theresa Nelson

In early June 2025, the pump that fills Temescal Creek was turned back on, and for the first time in almost three years, the waters returned. Congratulations to The Friends of the Rockridge Greenbelt (FROG) Committee, who worked hard during this time to get the City of Oakland and Alameda County to bring back the creek.

Why was it turned off? It’s complicated. First, Temescal Creek, for most of its length, does not flow naturally but is pumped up from culverts about 15 feet underground. Alameda County Flood Control District turns it on in the spring, usually around the FROG Earth Day cleanup, and turns it off again in October. When the 50-year-old pump broke, the County had to wait for more than a year to secure the capital to have it replaced. 

Second, High levels of blue-green algae at Lake Temescal, managed by the East Bay Regional Park District, will result in closing Lake Temescal for swimmers as well as turning off the creek flow. Blue-green algae can cause illness in children who touch or ingest the water and serious illness in pets who drink it. The Park District monitors these levels, and if they are too high, they will turn off the creek. During the last two years, the levels were high, so the water did not flow.

Finally, the City of Oakland is responsible for clearing the culverts and grates annually to ensure the creek can flow freely, preventing it from backing up and causing flooding. This spring, when they were clearing the grates, a significant blockage was discovered in the pond at Big Frog, which required heavy equipment to remove.

We are glad that the community, especially the children, can once again enjoy the creek, and grateful to the City of Oakland and the Alameda County Flood Control District for their assistance in repairing the pump and clearing the culverts.

The FROG Committee would like to explore the idea of a Temescal Creek Watershed initiative similar to the one at Sausal Creek https://www.sausalcreek.org/. Anyone interested should contact Steve Costa at stevegcosta@gmail.com.