Colma Creek
Encyclopedia
Colma Creek is a small creek that flows toward the San Francisco Bay
from near San Bruno Mountain
. The source starts north of the Guadalupe Parkway. It flows down southwest and makes a 90 degree bend to flow southeastward. The creek loses elevation as it flows through the cities of Daly City
and Colma
, and continues to lose elevation until reaching the bay. Its small delta is just in between South San Francisco
and the San Francisco International Airport
. The creek has one named tributary stream named Twelvemile Creek.
walls, buried in some parts, and had much of its large delta filled in by developers. Most of the lower parts of the creek are devoid of native vegetation due to the flood control project, reducing the habitat of the endangered California Clapper Rail
and other species that use the creek. The headwaters of the creek are lined with non-native trees like eucalyptus
, cypress
, and Himalaya berry, displacing the native riparian plants like dogwood
and willow
. The creek sometimes runs dry due to the non-native vegetation lowering the water table at the source. In the past couple of years however, habitat restoration companies like Shelterbeltbuilders are helping to return the creek to its former state by removing invasive and non-native plants and replanting native, riparian plants at the source. In addition, in South San Francisco, new wetland was created to mitigate wetland lost to floodwall construction and improvements. The California Clapper Rail is expected to reinhabit the new salt and freshwater wetland, along with other species displaced by the flood control works.
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
from near San Bruno Mountain
San Bruno Mountain
San Bruno Mountain in northern San Mateo County, California is the northernmost part of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Most of the mountain lies within the San Bruno Mountain State Park, a unique open-space island in the midst of the San Francisco Peninsula's urbanization. Next to the state park is the...
. The source starts north of the Guadalupe Parkway. It flows down southwest and makes a 90 degree bend to flow southeastward. The creek loses elevation as it flows through the cities of Daly City
Daly City, California
Daly City is the largest city in San Mateo County, California, United States, with a 2010 population of 101,123. Located immediately south of San Francisco, it is named in honor of businessman and landowner John Daly.-History:...
and Colma
Colma, California
Colma is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, at the northern end of the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 1,792 at the 2010 census. The town was founded as a necropolis in 1924....
, and continues to lose elevation until reaching the bay. Its small delta is just in between South San Francisco
South San Francisco, California
South San Francisco is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, located on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area...
and the San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport is a major international airport located south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States, near the cities of Millbrae and San Bruno in unincorporated San Mateo County. It is often referred to as SFO...
. The creek has one named tributary stream named Twelvemile Creek.
History
The large delta the creek once supported was an important stop for migratory waterfowl and other wildlife. However, like many urban creeks, Colma Creek has been surrounded by flood controlFlood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
walls, buried in some parts, and had much of its large delta filled in by developers. Most of the lower parts of the creek are devoid of native vegetation due to the flood control project, reducing the habitat of the endangered California Clapper Rail
California Clapper Rail
The California Clapper Rail is an endangered subspecies of the Clapper Rail . It is found principally in California's San Francisco Bay, and also in Monterey Bay and Morro Bay...
and other species that use the creek. The headwaters of the creek are lined with non-native trees like eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
, cypress
Cupressaceae
The Cupressaceae or cypress family is a conifer family with worldwide distribution. The family includes 27 to 30 genera , which include the junipers and redwoods, with about 130-140 species in total. They are monoecious, subdioecious or dioecious trees and shrubs from 1-116 m tall...
, and Himalaya berry, displacing the native riparian plants like dogwood
Dogwood
The genus Cornus is a group of about 30-60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods. Most dogwoods are deciduous trees or shrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceous perennial subshrubs, and a few of the woody species are evergreen...
and willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
. The creek sometimes runs dry due to the non-native vegetation lowering the water table at the source. In the past couple of years however, habitat restoration companies like Shelterbeltbuilders are helping to return the creek to its former state by removing invasive and non-native plants and replanting native, riparian plants at the source. In addition, in South San Francisco, new wetland was created to mitigate wetland lost to floodwall construction and improvements. The California Clapper Rail is expected to reinhabit the new salt and freshwater wetland, along with other species displaced by the flood control works.