Pajaro River
Encyclopedia
The Pajaro River is a river
in Northern California
, forming part of the border between Santa Cruz County
and Monterey County
and between San Benito County
and Santa Clara County
.
of 1769 called it "Pajaro" (meaning "bird" in Spanish) because the natives they saw there had a huge stuffed bird. Alternate names included Pigeon River, Rio de La Senora La Santa Ana, Rio del Paxaro, Rio de Santa Ana, San Antonio River and Sanjon del Tequesquite.
Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito, and Monterey Counties. The Pajaro River mainstem begins just west of San Felipe Lake, also called Upper Soap Lake, which is a permanent lake
formed by the confluence of Pacheco Creek and Arroyo dos Picachos. Pacheco Creek's headwaters are in the Diablo Range
at about 400 feet (121.9 m) elevation. The Pajaro River mainstem flows west for 30 miles (50 km), passing the city of Watsonville
and emptying into Monterey Bay
. San Felipe Lake, on the upper reaches of the river, upstream of its meeting with the San Benito River
. Lower Soap Lake, also called Soap Lake, is an intermittent body of water a few miles downstream of the upper lake. This type of water body forms when the channel below is unable to keep up with the flow coming from upstream.
The Pajaro River's largest tributary is the San Benito River
which is much longer than the Pajaro, flowing northwest from its source at an elevation of 4760 feet on San Benito Mountain on its course between the Diablo Range and the Gabilan Range
, traveling for about 65 miles (104.6 km) before its confluence with the Pajaro River, about 15 miles (24.1 km) upstream from the ocean.
A residential development, agricultural fields, and Zmudowski State Beach
border the Pajaro River mouth and
the connecting Watsonville Slough. The river mouth is often open to tidal action for extended periods, especially during the winter months. Should the mouth fill with sediment, it must be physically reopened to prevent nearby agricultural fields from flooding.
San Felipe Lake, which is the central feature of the “Bolsa de San Felipe”, is designated as a “California Important Bird Area
” by the National Audubon Society
. The Bolsa is a crossroads for birds migrating between San Francisco Bay to the north, Monterey Bay to the west and the Central Valley to the east. The Bolsa is also identified by the National Audubon Society as a “bird vagrant trap”, a site where bird species far outside of their normal range appear.
The Pajaro River serves as a migration pathway for adult Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) migrating to spawning and nursery habitat in the upper watershed creeks (Uvas, Llagas and Corralitos), although the Pajaro River mainstem provides poor spawning and rearing habitat due to low summer flows and high sedimentation loads. Coho salmon
(Oncorhyncus kisutch) have not been present in the river since at least the late 1960s.
Historically it is interesting as one of two Northern California coastal rivers mentioned in 1829 by Russian explorer K. T. Khlebnikov as hosting sturgeon, presumably White sturgeon
(Acipenser transmontanus), along with the Russian River
.
was awarded a $424,000 grant to create a public access point for canoes and kayaks, including a parking lot, trail and public restroom.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
, forming part of the border between Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
and Monterey County
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
and between San Benito County
San Benito County, California
San Benito County is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U.S. state of California, south of San Jose. As of 2010 the population was 55,269. The county seat is Hollister, which includes nearly two-thirds of the county's population. El Camino Real passes through the county and...
and Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
.
History
The Pajaro River has had many names. Early Spanish maps had the name Rio de San Antonio and Rio del Pajaro. Soldiers on the Portola expeditionPortola expedition
250px|right|Point of San Francisco Bay DiscoveryThe Portolá Expedition was led by Gaspar de Portolá from July 14, 1769 to January 24, 1770. It was the first recorded Spanish land entry and exploration of present day California, United States...
of 1769 called it "Pajaro" (meaning "bird" in Spanish) because the natives they saw there had a huge stuffed bird. Alternate names included Pigeon River, Rio de La Senora La Santa Ana, Rio del Paxaro, Rio de Santa Ana, San Antonio River and Sanjon del Tequesquite.
Watershed
The watershed is approximately 1300 square miles (3,367 km²) and covers portions ofSanta Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito, and Monterey Counties. The Pajaro River mainstem begins just west of San Felipe Lake, also called Upper Soap Lake, which is a permanent lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
formed by the confluence of Pacheco Creek and Arroyo dos Picachos. Pacheco Creek's headwaters are in the Diablo Range
Diablo Range
The Diablo Range is a mountain range in the California Coast Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Coast Ranges. It is located in the eastern San Francisco Bay area south to the Salinas Valley area of northern California, the United States.-Geography:...
at about 400 feet (121.9 m) elevation. The Pajaro River mainstem flows west for 30 miles (50 km), passing the city of Watsonville
Watsonville, California
Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 51,199 according to the 2010 census.Located on the central coast of California, the economy centers predominantly around the farming industry. It is known for growing strawberries, apples, lettuce and a host...
and emptying into Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean, along the central coast of California. The bay is south of San Francisco and San Jose, between the cities of Santa Cruz and Monterey....
. San Felipe Lake, on the upper reaches of the river, upstream of its meeting with the San Benito River
San Benito River
The San Benito River is a river on the Central Coast of California. From its headwaters near San Benito Mountain in the Diablo Range, it flows northwest between the Diablo Range and the Gabilan Range, traveling for about before its confluence with the Pajaro River, about upstream from the river's...
. Lower Soap Lake, also called Soap Lake, is an intermittent body of water a few miles downstream of the upper lake. This type of water body forms when the channel below is unable to keep up with the flow coming from upstream.
The Pajaro River's largest tributary is the San Benito River
San Benito River
The San Benito River is a river on the Central Coast of California. From its headwaters near San Benito Mountain in the Diablo Range, it flows northwest between the Diablo Range and the Gabilan Range, traveling for about before its confluence with the Pajaro River, about upstream from the river's...
which is much longer than the Pajaro, flowing northwest from its source at an elevation of 4760 feet on San Benito Mountain on its course between the Diablo Range and the Gabilan Range
Gabilan Range
The Gabilan Range or Gabilan Mountains are located on the Pacific Coast Range of California's Central Coast trending in a northwest-southeast direction along the Monterey County and San Benito County line. It is bordered by the Diablo Range, the San Andreas Fault, and State Route 25 to the east and...
, traveling for about 65 miles (104.6 km) before its confluence with the Pajaro River, about 15 miles (24.1 km) upstream from the ocean.
A residential development, agricultural fields, and Zmudowski State Beach
Zmudowski State Beach
Zmudowski State Beach is a beach near Moss Landing in Monterey County, California, United States, operated by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. It is a popular fishing area, featuring perch, kingfish, sole, flounder, halibut, bocaccio , jacksmelt, lingcod, cabezon, salmon,...
border the Pajaro River mouth and
the connecting Watsonville Slough. The river mouth is often open to tidal action for extended periods, especially during the winter months. Should the mouth fill with sediment, it must be physically reopened to prevent nearby agricultural fields from flooding.
Ecology
In 2006, the Pajaro River was designated as America's most endangered river by the American Rivers organization, due to levees constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers along its lower 22 miles (35 km) and severe runoff into the river from agricultural fields.San Felipe Lake, which is the central feature of the “Bolsa de San Felipe”, is designated as a “California Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
” by the National Audubon Society
National Audubon Society
The National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation. Incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and uses science, education and grassroots advocacy to advance its conservation mission...
. The Bolsa is a crossroads for birds migrating between San Francisco Bay to the north, Monterey Bay to the west and the Central Valley to the east. The Bolsa is also identified by the National Audubon Society as a “bird vagrant trap”, a site where bird species far outside of their normal range appear.
The Pajaro River serves as a migration pathway for adult Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) migrating to spawning and nursery habitat in the upper watershed creeks (Uvas, Llagas and Corralitos), although the Pajaro River mainstem provides poor spawning and rearing habitat due to low summer flows and high sedimentation loads. Coho salmon
Coho salmon
The Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". It is the state animal of Chiba, Japan.-Description:...
(Oncorhyncus kisutch) have not been present in the river since at least the late 1960s.
Historically it is interesting as one of two Northern California coastal rivers mentioned in 1829 by Russian explorer K. T. Khlebnikov as hosting sturgeon, presumably White sturgeon
White sturgeon
The white sturgeon , also known as the Pacific sturgeon, Oregon sturgeon, Columbia sturgeon, Sacramento sturgeon, and California white sturgeon, is a sturgeon which lives along the west coast of North America from the Aleutian Islands to Central...
(Acipenser transmontanus), along with the Russian River
Russian River (California)
The Russian River, a southward-flowing river, drains of Sonoma and Mendocino counties in Northern California. With an annual average discharge of approximately , it is the second largest river flowing through the nine county Greater San Francisco Bay Area with a mainstem 110 miles ...
.
Improvements
In 2010 the City of WatsonvilleWatsonville, California
Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 51,199 according to the 2010 census.Located on the central coast of California, the economy centers predominantly around the farming industry. It is known for growing strawberries, apples, lettuce and a host...
was awarded a $424,000 grant to create a public access point for canoes and kayaks, including a parking lot, trail and public restroom.