Small But Significant

Pringle Creek could qualify as a river because it’s fairly large and swift as it flows through the middle of Salem, Oregon. It has a few tributaries, and one of them runs in back of my house. This tributary becomes alarmingly swollen during heavy rains, and it threatens to jump its banks. I live in a flood zone.
But life here is enhanced by the creek. The creek is an integral part of the nearby park, and I like riding my mountain bike over the wooden bridge that spans the creek, then turning west to follow the path along the tributary. Small animals and water birds dwell in the vegetation along the banks.