By Adam Harrison

With winter (hopefully) clearing out for the season, it’s time for some of the area’s springtime events to help warm things up. One of these is the annual Forsyth Creek Week, this year scheduled for March 23-31, taking place throughout Forsyth County. Creek Week is an annual chance to celebrate our local waterways, and help teach the public how to protect and preserve our essential aquatic resources.

Some popular activities from years past are returning for this year, including Family Fishing Fun, which will once again take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 23, at River Oaks Community Church on Lewisville-Clemmons Road. Kids of all ages will have the opportunity to learn about responsible fishing, as well as conservation and water quality awareness. The Village of Clemmons’ own Lenny the Lifeguard will appear, and there will be casting games, face painting and other activities for the young ones. For those avid casters looking for the real thing, Salem Lake will be waiving their normal fishing fees for the week if you mention Creek Week. There will even be a Creek Week Team Bass Tournament, also at Salem Lake.

Another Clemmons Creek Week event will be the annual Operation Medicine Drop, held once again at the James Street Fire Station. Over the years, this public safety event has responsibly removed hundreds of pounds of unused and expired medication. Monday, March 25, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. will be your chance to drop off all those unused pills you just aren’t sure what to do with.

For those looking to help support our local waterways by getting their hands dirty, both Lewisville and Clemmons will be offering cleanup activities. Both events will be in conjunction with the Great American Cleanup, and both require pre-registration. Lewisville’s “Clean Sweep” event will be Saturday, March 23, from 9 a.m. noon. To pre-register, call Genevieve Adams at 503-803-8308. Clemmons’ cleanup will be Saturday, March 30, also from 9 a.m. to noon. Pre-register for the Clemmons event by calling Clemmons’ Stormwater Department at 336-766-9170 by March 26.

For those looking to enjoy Creek Week in Winston, there is a full calendar of events located at forsythcreekweek.squarespace.com . There are boater safety courses, nature walks, animal encounters, trivia nights and more scheduled throughout the week. Come join your community in celebrating the waterways that help make our community thrive.