The last Saturday of September saw around a dozen volunteers show up in Palmer Lake to clear out debris from North Monument Creek and remove noxious weeds from Centennial Park as part of larger Creek Week efforts taking place ac ross the Fountain Creek Watershed District.Sponsored by the Fountain Creek Watershed District, Creek Week runs from late September through early October and annually sees hundreds of residents volunteering their time to clean up creeks, parks, trails, and public spaces throughout the watershed district.The district encompasses 927 square miles and is largely situated in El Paso and Pueblo Counties with a smaller portion located in Teller County. The primary municipalities that fall within the district are listed below: Palmer Lake Monument Woodland Park Manitou Springs Green Mountain Falls Fountain Pueblo Colorado SpringsAccording to the Fountain Creek Watershed, in 2025 more than 1,500 volunteers participated across the region and were able to collect approximately 16.5 tons of trash over a period of nine days.This year, volunteers in Palmer Lake split into two groups, one dedicated their efforts towards learning about and removing noxious weeds found around Centennial Park while the other team removed trash and debris from North Monument Creek."I mean, we want people to enjoy the Creek and the Lake," commented Reid Wiecks, chair for the Palmer Lake Parks and Trails Commission, "and if we can make it a better experience for them by making it prettier for them and making the water flow unimpeded for them through the canyon, we feel we're doing our part."Creek Week started in 2014, for additional information, click here, to sign up to participate, click here._______Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching. ...read more read less