The bike is parked where Water Avenue crosses Periwinkle Creek on Monday, March 31, 2025.
One reason old Albany’s Willamette Neighborhood makes for a great place to ride a bike — besides not much traffic — is that nature is close at hand.
On Monday I stopped for a minute where Water Avenue crosses Periwinkle Creek. Upstream and downstream from the street crossing, the creek canyon or valley remains more or less in what I assume is its natural state.
Like streams in cities everywhere, this waterway probably suffers from “urban stream syndrome.” It’s a term scientists use for creeks affected by the kind of pollution that usually finds its way into waterways from storm drains and other sources. The effects include poor water quality and less variety in wildlife.
But in the lower reaches of Albany’s two main creeks, Periwinkle and Cox, and probably Oak Creek too, the deliterious effects of urban pollution are impossible to spot. At least for the layman just getting off his bike and gazing down the canyons in between showers on a day in early spring.
I’ve heard of people spotting beavers and even otters in Cox Creek. And seeing how wild and undisturbed the lower section of Periwinkle Creek looks, the presence of these and other kinds of wildlife there would not be a surprise.
One unfortunate thing I’ve noticed from time to time: Big and little bits of refuse discarded on the banks.
Except for that, these creeks and the banks look pretty healthy when there’s lots of water flowing in the spring. (hh)
Looking down Periwinkle Creek from Water Avenue. Nearby houses are just out of the view.
Farther upstream, near Seventh Avenue, a storm drain empties into Periwinkle Creek on March 22, 2025.
My husband and I enjoyed seeing Cox Creek last week when we walked from the Carousel to Bowman Park along the Dave Clark trail. Always a lovely area.
I ride my bike 3-4 days a week down Vine and along the Dave Clark trail to Bowman and then to Cox Creek and around Waverly Park and back. This is indeed one of Albany’s blessings, hidden to most it seems, which is fine with me. Cox Creek was quite heavily littered earlier last year by a few homeless people until it was thankfully cleaned up very nicely. However I am still often dissappointed to see the phosphates coming out of Waverly Lake into Cox Creek, usually seen coming out from under the Old Salem Bridge.