Guadalupe Valley
Encyclopedia
Guadalupe Creek is a short eastward-flowing stream
whose watershed originates just east of the highest peak of San Bruno Mountain
in San Mateo County, California
, United States
. It courses through San Bruno Mountain State and County Park
and Brisbane
before entering the Brisbane Lagoon.
land grant awarded by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
to his brother-in-law, Jacob P. Leese in 1841. Prior to this Manuel Sanchez had petitioned for the rancho of this name in 1835.
as Devil's Arroyo, which descends quickly northwards to the head of the Guadalupe Valley. The confluence of Devil's Arroyo and Wax Myrtle Ravine is at the head of the Guadalupe Valley at elevation 200 feet, where the Guadalupe Creek mainstem flows eastward largely confined to underground pipes and ditches, emerging to daylight just east of Bayshore Boulevard. From there it flows for a few dozen yards to its mouth in Brisbane Lagoon. This lagoon is a remnant of San Francisco Bay
, formed by the construction of the U. S. Highway 101 causeway, and became diminished when its north and central portions (which are crossed by Visitacion Creek) were filled with garbage and landfill. Seasonal creeks which contribute to the Guadalupe Creek watershed include Owl Canyon and Buckeye Canyon. After passing into the lagoon, the waters of the Guadalupe Valley watershed pass through a culvert under the freeway into the Bay.
The Guadalupe Quarry is carved into San Bruno Mountain on the south side of the Guadalupe Valley.
Guadalupe Creek is part of the Visitacion-Guadalupe Valley Watershed, which is a large bowl straddling San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. It drains the area bounded by Bayview Hill (by Candlestick Park, McLaren Ridge and San Bruno Mountain. The mountain’s highest peak reaches 1,314 feet, Bayview Hill’s summit is 500 feet, and the highest summit of McLaren Ridge is 515 feet.
(Aricia icarioides missionensis), Elfin
(Callophrys mossii bayensis) and Callippe Silverspot
(Speyeria callippe callippe) Butterflies, as well as the San Francisco garter snake
(Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia).
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
whose watershed originates just east of the highest peak of 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...
in San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It courses through San Bruno Mountain State and County Park
San Bruno Mountain State Park
San Bruno Mountain State Park is a state park located in northern San Mateo County, California. It is adjacent to the southern boundary of San Francisco and borders the cities of Brisbane, South San Francisco, Colma and Daly City....
and Brisbane
Brisbane, California
Brisbane is a small city located in the northern part of San Mateo County, California on the lower slopes of San Bruno Mountain. It is on the northeastern edge of South San Francisco, next to the San Francisco Bay and near the San Francisco International Airport.The population was 4,282 as of...
before entering the Brisbane Lagoon.
History
Guadalupe Valley was originally called Cañada de Guadalupe, and was part of the Rancho Cañada de Guadalupe la Visitación y Rodeo ViejoRancho Cañada de Guadalupe la Visitación y Rodeo Viejo
Rancho Cañada de Guadalupe la Visitación y Rodeo Viejo was a Mexican land grant in present day San Mateo County, California and San Francisco County, California given in 1841 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Jacob P. Leese. The rancho included three separate valleys: Cañada de Guadalupe, La...
land grant awarded by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo was a Californian military commander, politician, and rancher. He was born a subject of Spain, performed his military duties as an officer of Mexico, and shaped the transition of California from a Mexican district to an American state...
to his brother-in-law, Jacob P. Leese in 1841. Prior to this Manuel Sanchez had petitioned for the rancho of this name in 1835.
Watershed and Course
The Guadalupe Creek watershed begins on the northeast slope of the peak of San Bruno MountainSan 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...
as Devil's Arroyo, which descends quickly northwards to the head of the Guadalupe Valley. The confluence of Devil's Arroyo and Wax Myrtle Ravine is at the head of the Guadalupe Valley at elevation 200 feet, where the Guadalupe Creek mainstem flows eastward largely confined to underground pipes and ditches, emerging to daylight just east of Bayshore Boulevard. From there it flows for a few dozen yards to its mouth in Brisbane Lagoon. This lagoon is a remnant of San Francisco Bay
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...
, formed by the construction of the U. S. Highway 101 causeway, and became diminished when its north and central portions (which are crossed by Visitacion Creek) were filled with garbage and landfill. Seasonal creeks which contribute to the Guadalupe Creek watershed include Owl Canyon and Buckeye Canyon. After passing into the lagoon, the waters of the Guadalupe Valley watershed pass through a culvert under the freeway into the Bay.
The Guadalupe Quarry is carved into San Bruno Mountain on the south side of the Guadalupe Valley.
Guadalupe Creek is part of the Visitacion-Guadalupe Valley Watershed, which is a large bowl straddling San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. It drains the area bounded by Bayview Hill (by Candlestick Park, McLaren Ridge and San Bruno Mountain. The mountain’s highest peak reaches 1,314 feet, Bayview Hill’s summit is 500 feet, and the highest summit of McLaren Ridge is 515 feet.
Ecology
San Bruno Mountain hosts several endangered species and the Guadalupe Valley provides habitat for the Mission BlueMission blue butterfly
The Mission Blue is a blue or lycaenid butterfly subspecies native to the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. The butterfly has been declared as endangered by the US Federal Government. It is a subspecies of Boisduval's Blue .- Description :The endangered Mission Blue has a wingspan of...
(Aricia icarioides missionensis), Elfin
San Bruno elfin butterfly
The San Bruno elfin butterfly is a U.S. Federally listed endangered subspecies which inhabits rocky outcrops and cliffs in coastal scrub on the San Francisco peninsula, endemic to this habitat in California...
(Callophrys mossii bayensis) and Callippe Silverspot
Callippe silverspot butterfly
The Callippe Silverspot Butterfly is a federal endangered species in the brush-footed butterfly family Nymphalidae. This is a subspecies. It is a member of the Heliconiinae, the subfamily known as longwings. The adult has a wingspan of just over two inches...
(Speyeria callippe callippe) Butterflies, as well as the San Francisco garter snake
San Francisco garter snake
The San Francisco Garter Snake is a slender multi-colored colubrid snake. Designated as an endangered species since the year 1967, it is endemic to California and resides only in San Mateo County, California, and the extreme northern part of coastal Santa Cruz County, California...
(Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia).
See also
- List of watercourses in the San Francisco Bay Area
- Rancho Cañada de Guadalupe la Visitación y Rodeo ViejoRancho Cañada de Guadalupe la Visitación y Rodeo ViejoRancho Cañada de Guadalupe la Visitación y Rodeo Viejo was a Mexican land grant in present day San Mateo County, California and San Francisco County, California given in 1841 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Jacob P. Leese. The rancho included three separate valleys: Cañada de Guadalupe, La...
- Brisbane, CaliforniaBrisbane, CaliforniaBrisbane is a small city located in the northern part of San Mateo County, California on the lower slopes of San Bruno Mountain. It is on the northeastern edge of South San Francisco, next to the San Francisco Bay and near the San Francisco International Airport.The population was 4,282 as of...