Novato Creek
Encyclopedia
Novato Creek is a stream
in eastern Marin County, California
, United States
. It originates on Burdell Mountain above the city of Novato, California
and flows 17 miles (27.4 km) before empyting into San Pablo Bay
south of Petaluma Point.
. It descends through the city of Novato
. East of Novato it crosses under U.S. Route 101 and State Route 37
before flowing through Bel Marin Keys
and entering the northwest corner of San Pablo Bay
.
and Pomo people were the earliest residents of the watershed. Olompali, the site of a significant Miwok village, is located at the southern base of Mt. Burdell. In 1839 Mexican land grants established Rancho Novato. Grazing brought a host of invasive annual grassland plants that eventually dominated the deep-rooted native perennial grasses and altered runoff rates.
By 1856 extensive apple orchards occupied the valley floor and many of the creeks had been channelized for irrigation. The tidal marshlands had also been diked and drained for agriculture (primarily oat-hay production) by the middle of the nineteenth century. In the 1880s the creek was dredged to make way for schooners bound for San Francisco.
Novato, one of the four townships in existence when Marin County formed in 1850, was incorporated in 1960. Ground was broken for Hamilton Air Force Base in 1932 and dedicated in 1935 (the base was decommissioned in 1974, and designated as a historic district in 1988).
Land use changes have increased sediment
supply and decreased sediment transport
, causing the lower reaches of Novato Creek to become shallower
. In addition, the construction of Stafford Dam (starting in 1952) increased its drainage area by 5.2 square miles (13 km²).
Just before entering the Bay, Novato Creek flows along Bel Marin Keys
, an affluent community on the creek and a series of adjacent lagoons, at an elevation of 10 feet (3 m) above sea level.
(Oncorhyncus tshawytscha)) are also found within the Novato Creek watershed. The Novato Creek watershed is known to support 10 extant fish species (6 native and 4 introduced). Native species include California roach, Sacramento pikeminnow, Sacramento sucker, steelhead, threespine stickleback, and Prickly sculpin. Introduced species include rainwater killifish, western mosquitofish, striped bass, and green sunfish. Fawcett (2000 and 2006) also noted the presence of non-native bluegill, largemouth bass, brown bullhead, chameleon goby, and inland silverside. Historically, the watershed supported native tidewater goby; the last collection occurred in 1945.
Wetland-adapted species occur along Rush Creek
and the lower Novato Creek wetlands. Noteworthy species include San Pablo song sparrow, California black rail, saltmarsh common yellowthroat, and California clapper rail. Western pond turtles and naturalized bullfrogs are known to occur in Novato Creek.
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...
in eastern Marin County, California
Marin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It originates on Burdell Mountain above the city of Novato, California
Novato, California
Novato is a city located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, in northern Marin County. Novato is located about north-northwest of San Rafael, at an elevation of 30 feet above sea level . The 2010 U.S. Census estimated the city population to be about 51,904. Novato is about ...
and flows 17 miles (27.4 km) before empyting into San Pablo Bay
San Pablo Bay
San Pablo Bay is a tidal estuary that forms the northern extension of San Francisco Bay in northern California in the United States. Most of the Bay is shallow; however, there is a deep water channel approximately in mid bay, which allows access to Sacramento, Stockton, Benicia, Martinez, and...
south of Petaluma Point.
Course
Novato Creek begins on the west side of Burdell Mountain and initially descends to the west. However, it soon turns south, then east to feed into Stafford LakeStafford Lake County Park
Stafford Lake County Park is part of the Marin County, California Parks system. The park is located in Novato, north of San Francisco California and is in a classic northern California valley among grazing farmland....
. It descends through the city of Novato
Novato, California
Novato is a city located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, in northern Marin County. Novato is located about north-northwest of San Rafael, at an elevation of 30 feet above sea level . The 2010 U.S. Census estimated the city population to be about 51,904. Novato is about ...
. East of Novato it crosses under U.S. Route 101 and State Route 37
California State Route 37
State Route 37 is a state highway in the northern part of the U.S. state of California that runs 21 miles along the northern shore of San Pablo Bay. It is built from U.S. Route 101 in Novato and runs through the southern tips of Sonoma and Napa Counties to Interstate 80 in Vallejo...
before flowing through Bel Marin Keys
Bel Marin Keys, California
Bel Marin Keys is an unincorporated community in Marin County, California. It lies at an elevation of 10 feet .Bel Marin Keys is an affluent waterfront community located east of the city of Novato. The community has approximately 700 homes. Most of the homes sit either on one of the many lagoons or...
and entering the northwest corner of San Pablo Bay
San Pablo Bay
San Pablo Bay is a tidal estuary that forms the northern extension of San Francisco Bay in northern California in the United States. Most of the Bay is shallow; however, there is a deep water channel approximately in mid bay, which allows access to Sacramento, Stockton, Benicia, Martinez, and...
.
History
MiwokMiwok
Miwok can refer to any one of four linguistically related groups of Native Americans, native to Northern California, who spoke one of the Miwokan languages in the Utian family...
and Pomo people were the earliest residents of the watershed. Olompali, the site of a significant Miwok village, is located at the southern base of Mt. Burdell. In 1839 Mexican land grants established Rancho Novato. Grazing brought a host of invasive annual grassland plants that eventually dominated the deep-rooted native perennial grasses and altered runoff rates.
By 1856 extensive apple orchards occupied the valley floor and many of the creeks had been channelized for irrigation. The tidal marshlands had also been diked and drained for agriculture (primarily oat-hay production) by the middle of the nineteenth century. In the 1880s the creek was dredged to make way for schooners bound for San Francisco.
Novato, one of the four townships in existence when Marin County formed in 1850, was incorporated in 1960. Ground was broken for Hamilton Air Force Base in 1932 and dedicated in 1935 (the base was decommissioned in 1974, and designated as a historic district in 1988).
Land use changes have increased sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
supply and decreased sediment transport
Sediment transport
Sediment transport is the movement of solid particles , typically due to a combination of the force of gravity acting on the sediment, and/or the movement of the fluid in which the sediment is entrained...
, causing the lower reaches of Novato Creek to become shallower
Aggradation
Aggradation is the term used in geology for the increase in land elevation due to the deposition of sediment. Aggradation occurs in areas in which the supply of sediment is greater than the amount of material that the system is able to transport...
. In addition, the construction of Stafford Dam (starting in 1952) increased its drainage area by 5.2 square miles (13 km²).
Watershed
The Novato Creek watershed basin is 45 square miles (116.5 km²). Novato Creek is joined by six major tributaries along its 17 miles (27.4 km) length: Leveroni, Bowman Canyon, Warner, Vineyard Creek, Arroyo Avichi, Arroyo de San Jose, and Simmonds Slough. Arroyo San Jose has two of its own tributaries: Ignacio Creek and Pacheco Creek. Novato Creek and its tributaries are often eroded, incised channels. It is one of the driest watersheds in Marin County.Just before entering the Bay, Novato Creek flows along Bel Marin Keys
Bel Marin Keys, California
Bel Marin Keys is an unincorporated community in Marin County, California. It lies at an elevation of 10 feet .Bel Marin Keys is an affluent waterfront community located east of the city of Novato. The community has approximately 700 homes. Most of the homes sit either on one of the many lagoons or...
, an affluent community on the creek and a series of adjacent lagoons, at an elevation of 10 feet (3 m) above sea level.
Ecology
Salmonids (Steelhead trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss) and Chinook salmonChinook salmon
The Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is the largest species in the pacific salmon family. Other commonly used names for the species include King salmon, Quinnat salmon, Spring salmon and Tyee salmon...
(Oncorhyncus tshawytscha)) are also found within the Novato Creek watershed. The Novato Creek watershed is known to support 10 extant fish species (6 native and 4 introduced). Native species include California roach, Sacramento pikeminnow, Sacramento sucker, steelhead, threespine stickleback, and Prickly sculpin. Introduced species include rainwater killifish, western mosquitofish, striped bass, and green sunfish. Fawcett (2000 and 2006) also noted the presence of non-native bluegill, largemouth bass, brown bullhead, chameleon goby, and inland silverside. Historically, the watershed supported native tidewater goby; the last collection occurred in 1945.
Wetland-adapted species occur along Rush Creek
Rush Creek (Marin County, California)
Rush Creek is a stream in eastern Marin County, California, United States. It originates on the north edge of Novato, California and flows northeasterly through wetlands into Black John Slough and then the Petaluma River...
and the lower Novato Creek wetlands. Noteworthy species include San Pablo song sparrow, California black rail, saltmarsh common yellowthroat, and California clapper rail. Western pond turtles and naturalized bullfrogs are known to occur in Novato Creek.
Bridges
Novato Creek is spanned by many bridges, including:- at milepost 11.96 of State Route 37, a pair of 720 ft (219 m) prestressed concrete slabs built in 1959
- at milepost 20.51 of U.S. 101, a pair of 192 ft (59 m) concrete continuous tee beams built in 1974
- at Redwood Boulevard in Novato, a pair of 187 ft (57 m) concrete tee beams reconstructed in 1988
- at Novato Boulevard in Novato, a 98 ft (30 m) concrete continuous tee beam built in 1969
- at Seventh Street in Novato, a 60 ft (18 m) concrete continuous slab built in 1971
- at Simmons Avenue in Novato, a 36 ft (11 m) concrete tee beam built in 1932 and reconstructed in 1970
- at Grant Avenue in Novato, a 36 ft (11 m) concrete tee beam built in 1936
- at Sutro Avenue in Novato, a 33 ft (10 m) concrete slab built in 1935 and reconstructed in 1972
- at Diablo Avenue in Novato, a 32 ft (10 m) concrete slab built in 1966