San Pedro Creek
Encyclopedia
San Pedro Creek is a perennial stream in the City of Pacifica
, San Mateo County, California
in the San Francisco Bay Area
whose tributaries originate on Sweeney Ridge
in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
and Montara Mountain
in the Santa Cruz Mountains
.The creek mainstem flows 2.5 miles (4 km) through the San Pedro Valley to its mouth near Shelter Cove
of the Pacific Ocean The stream is notable as the 1769 campsite for Gaspar de Portolà
before he ascended Sweeney Ridge
and discovered San Francisco Bay
. San Pedro Creek is also notable as the only major steelhead trout habitat for 25 miles (40.2 km) between San Francisco
and Half Moon Bay
, supporting fish of up to two feet in length.
embarked from San Diego
to establish a base in the Port of Monterey
, but not recognizing Monterey, they overshot and headed further northwards up the seacoast. California Historical Marker No. 24, located at the southeast corner of Crespi Drive and State Highway 1
, states that "The Portolá Expedition of 1769 camped near the San Pedro Creek, where there was an Indian village, from October 31 to November 3. To that camp scouting parties brought news of a body of water to the east." That Indian village was the Ohlone
village of Pruristac. Marching up the San Pedro Valley and crossing Sweeney Ridge
, Portola was the first European explorer to discover San Francisco Bay
as the entrance to the Bay is difficult to ascertain from sailing ships and had been missed by many earlier sailors. The San Pedro y San Pablo Asistencia
was established in 1786 at the site of Pruristac, as a "sub-mission" to Mission San Francisco de Asís
because the sunny San Pedro Valley produced wheat, fruits, and vegetables which could not be grown in San Francisco. The site is located within the bounds of the historic Rancho San Pedro
(home to the Sánchez Adobe
) located at 1000 Linda Mar Boulevard, on the north bank of San Pedro Creek. Rancho San Pedro was one of the first California land grants, and the first to win a patent from the United States. More recently, the Middle Valley was used for grazing on its hillsides and commercial farming in the meadows, with crops of pumpkins and artichokes. The south fork of San Pedro Creek became a trout farm, operated by John Gay, until 1962, when storm rains washed out the entire operation. The south fork is a seasonal water source for the City of Pacifica.
and South Fork
. Draining a watershed of 8.2 square miles (21.2 km²), the lower portions of the stream were modified according to the local land uses, initially agriculture, and in the 1950s, suburban development. This involved straightening of the stream and elimination of wetlands and the reclamation
of the former Lake Mathilda at the lower western zone with landfill
. These changes, coupled with an increase of impermeable surface in the watershed has caused an increase in peak runoff levels, flooding and erosion of deeply incised channels up to 16 feet (4.9 m) deep. Most of the upper watershed is protected by San Pedro Valley County Park
a 1150 acres (4.7 km²) park which has three perennial creeks, the south and middle forks of San Pedro Creek, and Brooks Creek. During the rainy, winter months, a special attraction is the beautiful Brooks Falls, which has a drop of 175 feet (53.3 m) in three tiers.
Interestingly, Montara Mountain
and Sweeney Ridge
are not cloaked in the dense Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and Coast Douglas-fir
(Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) typical of the rest of the Santa Cruz Mountains
to the immediate south. The early Spanish settlers described the ridges of the headwaters as without tall trees. The only tall trees were planted recently and include eucalyptus, Monterey pine and Monterey cypress. The area from Montara Mountain north to the Golden Gate represent a unique bio-geographic unit dubbed the "Franciscan Landscape" which is primarily Coastal Scrub dominated by Coyote Brush and also sheltering unique endemic species found nowhere else. The Hazelnut Trail in San Pedro Valley County Park is a good place to see these unusual species which include Giant Golden Chinaquapin, Montara Manzanita, Fetid Adders-tongue, and California Hazelnut. These and other plants such as Wake robins, Coast and Giant trillium, Slender false solomon's seal, and Fetid adder's tongue blossom between clustered stems of shrubs and clumps of sword fern. Fetid adder's tongue—with its mottled green leaves, brown-purple striped flowers, and odor of rotting flesh—is particularly abundant. The fact that these species normally grow in the shady understory of redwood and Douglas fir forests, has led to speculation that prior to the 5,000 year occupation of the Ohlone Indians, who likely burned off the area to promote the growth of natural food sources, that the upper San Pedro watershed may have been host to primordial conifer forests.
Creek Dogwood, Arroyo Willow, Watercress, and several species of ferns are common in the middle and lower creeks. In the springtime, the meadows of the Middle Valley show off an array of wildflowers: California Poppies, Suncups, Buttercups, Wild Radish and Wild Mustard.
Wildlife is abundant at San Pedro Valley. Park inhabitants often seen are red-tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Quail, Scrub Jays, and Garter Snakes. Those observed less frequently include Deer, Bobcats, Grey Fox, Raccoons, Rabbits and Gopher Snakes.
The three forks of the San Pedro and its Brooks Creek tributary provide critical spawning areas for steelhead trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss). The steelhead spawning season is normally from December to February.
The highest pollution levels were found during the wet season and were located at downstream sites during the highest during runoff events. The dominated pollution was E. coli traced to avian sources, but also significant association with dogs, human, horse, raccoon and deer. During the dry season the ratio of sources still was primarily avian, but raccoons and dogs become more dominant.
In light of the historical problem of flooding, with large damaging floods occurring in 1962, 1972 and 1982 the City of Pacifica completed an ambitious five million dollar five year reconstruction project for the lower segment of San Pedro Creek in May 2005. This San Pedro Creek Flood Control Project which, in conjunction with the renovation adjacent stretches of the Pacifica State Beach, won the top national award from the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association for the year 2005.
Pacifica, California
Pacifica is a city in San Mateo County, California, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay.-Overview:The City of Pacifica is spread along a six mile stretch of the north central California coastal beach and hills, nestled in several small valleys spanning between...
, 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...
in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
whose tributaries originate on Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge, a national park in Pacifica, California, is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Historically, the ridge was the location of the San Francisco Bay Discovery Site, as part of the Portolá Expedition on November 4, 1769.-Description:...
in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service that surrounds the San Francisco Bay area. It is one of the most visited units of the National Park system in the United States, with over 13 million visitors a year...
and Montara Mountain
Montara Mountain
Montara Mountain, positioned between the unincorporated community of Montara, California to the southwest and the city of Pacifica, California to the north, forms the northern spur of the Santa Cruz Mountains, a narrow mountain range running the length of the San Francisco Peninsula that separates...
in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
.The creek mainstem flows 2.5 miles (4 km) through the San Pedro Valley to its mouth near Shelter Cove
Shelter Cove, Pacifica
Shelter Cove is a beach neighborhood at the southerly edge of Pacifica, California consisting of seventeen dilapidated rental cottages owned by Arno Rohloff since July 1997...
of the Pacific Ocean The stream is notable as the 1769 campsite for Gaspar de Portolà
Gaspar de Portolà
Gaspar de Portolà i Rovira was a soldier, governor of Baja and Alta California , explorer and founder of San Diego and Monterey. He was born in Os de Balaguer, province of Lleida, in Catalonia, Spain, of Catalan nobility. Don Gaspar served as a soldier in the Spanish army in Italy and Portugal...
before he ascended Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge, a national park in Pacifica, California, is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Historically, the ridge was the location of the San Francisco Bay Discovery Site, as part of the Portolá Expedition on November 4, 1769.-Description:...
and discovered 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...
. San Pedro Creek is also notable as the only major steelhead trout habitat for 25 miles (40.2 km) between San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
and Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay, California
Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, USA. Its population was 11,324 as of the 2010 census. Immediately at the north of Half Moon Bay is the Pillar Point Harbor and the unincorporated community of Princeton-by-the-Sea....
, supporting fish of up to two feet in length.
History
In 1769, the 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...
embarked from San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
to establish a base in the Port of Monterey
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, but not recognizing Monterey, they overshot and headed further northwards up the seacoast. California Historical Marker No. 24, located at the southeast corner of Crespi Drive and State Highway 1
California State Route 1
State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...
, states that "The Portolá Expedition of 1769 camped near the San Pedro Creek, where there was an Indian village, from October 31 to November 3. To that camp scouting parties brought news of a body of water to the east." That Indian village was the Ohlone
Ohlone
The Ohlone people, also known as the Costanoan, are a Native American people of the central California coast. When Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the late 18th century, the Ohlone inhabited the area along the coast from San Francisco Bay through Monterey Bay to the lower Salinas Valley...
village of Pruristac. Marching up the San Pedro Valley and crossing Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge, a national park in Pacifica, California, is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Historically, the ridge was the location of the San Francisco Bay Discovery Site, as part of the Portolá Expedition on November 4, 1769.-Description:...
, Portola was the first European explorer to discover 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...
as the entrance to the Bay is difficult to ascertain from sailing ships and had been missed by many earlier sailors. The San Pedro y San Pablo Asistencia
San Pedro y San Pablo Asistencia
The San Pedro y San Pablo Asistencia was established in 1786, as a "sub-mission" to Mission San Francisco de Asís in the San Pedro Valley at the Ohlone village of Pruristac...
was established in 1786 at the site of Pruristac, as a "sub-mission" to Mission San Francisco de Asís
Mission San Francisco de Asís
Mission San Francisco de Asís, or Mission Dolores, is the oldest surviving structure in San Francisco and the sixth religious settlement established as part of the California chain of missions...
because the sunny San Pedro Valley produced wheat, fruits, and vegetables which could not be grown in San Francisco. The site is located within the bounds of the historic Rancho San Pedro
Rancho San Pedro
Rancho San Pedro was one of the first California land grants, and the first to win a patent from the United States. The land grant was validated by the Mexican government at in 1828, and a US patent validating was issued in 1858...
(home to the Sánchez Adobe
Sánchez Adobe Park
The Sánchez Adobe Park, home to the Sánchez Adobe, is located in Pacifica, California at 1000 Linda Mar Boulevard, on the north bank of San Pedro Creek, approximately one mile from the Pacific Ocean in Linda Mar Valley...
) located at 1000 Linda Mar Boulevard, on the north bank of San Pedro Creek. Rancho San Pedro was one of the first California land grants, and the first to win a patent from the United States. More recently, the Middle Valley was used for grazing on its hillsides and commercial farming in the meadows, with crops of pumpkins and artichokes. The south fork of San Pedro Creek became a trout farm, operated by John Gay, until 1962, when storm rains washed out the entire operation. The south fork is a seasonal water source for the City of Pacifica.
San Pedro Creek Watershed
The river has eight sources and three major tributaries, the Mid Fork, North ForkNorth Fork, San Pedro Creek
North Fork is the largest tributary of San Pedro Creek in Pacifica, San Mateo County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. North fork enters San Pedro Creek from the northeast less than 0.5 mile downstream from the junction of South Fork and Middle Fork....
and South Fork
South Fork, San Pedro Creek
South Fork is a stream in San Mateo County, California. It is a tributary of San Pedro Creek....
. Draining a watershed of 8.2 square miles (21.2 km²), the lower portions of the stream were modified according to the local land uses, initially agriculture, and in the 1950s, suburban development. This involved straightening of the stream and elimination of wetlands and the reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
of the former Lake Mathilda at the lower western zone with landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
. These changes, coupled with an increase of impermeable surface in the watershed has caused an increase in peak runoff levels, flooding and erosion of deeply incised channels up to 16 feet (4.9 m) deep. Most of the upper watershed is protected by San Pedro Valley County Park
San Pedro Valley County Park
San Pedro Valley County Park is a San Mateo County park located in Pacifica, California, which includes the headwaters of San Pedro Creek.-Trails:* Montara Mountain Trail, 2.1 miles, includes views of the Pacific Ocean....
a 1150 acres (4.7 km²) park which has three perennial creeks, the south and middle forks of San Pedro Creek, and Brooks Creek. During the rainy, winter months, a special attraction is the beautiful Brooks Falls, which has a drop of 175 feet (53.3 m) in three tiers.
Ecology
Fog drip is a key to the rich diversity of species in the San Pedro Valley, most likely providing up to one-third of the annual available moisture in this ecosystem and keeping the cool, clear forks of San Pedro Creek running all year.Interestingly, Montara Mountain
Montara Mountain
Montara Mountain, positioned between the unincorporated community of Montara, California to the southwest and the city of Pacifica, California to the north, forms the northern spur of the Santa Cruz Mountains, a narrow mountain range running the length of the San Francisco Peninsula that separates...
and Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge
Sweeney Ridge, a national park in Pacifica, California, is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Historically, the ridge was the location of the San Francisco Bay Discovery Site, as part of the Portolá Expedition on November 4, 1769.-Description:...
are not cloaked in the dense Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and Coast Douglas-fir
Coast Douglas-fir
Pseudotsuga menziesii, known as Douglas-fir, Oregon Pine, or Douglas spruce, is an evergreen conifer species native to western North America. Its variety Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii, also known as coast Douglas-fir grows in the coastal regions, from west-central British Columbia, Canada...
(Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) typical of the rest of the Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
to the immediate south. The early Spanish settlers described the ridges of the headwaters as without tall trees. The only tall trees were planted recently and include eucalyptus, Monterey pine and Monterey cypress. The area from Montara Mountain north to the Golden Gate represent a unique bio-geographic unit dubbed the "Franciscan Landscape" which is primarily Coastal Scrub dominated by Coyote Brush and also sheltering unique endemic species found nowhere else. The Hazelnut Trail in San Pedro Valley County Park is a good place to see these unusual species which include Giant Golden Chinaquapin, Montara Manzanita, Fetid Adders-tongue, and California Hazelnut. These and other plants such as Wake robins, Coast and Giant trillium, Slender false solomon's seal, and Fetid adder's tongue blossom between clustered stems of shrubs and clumps of sword fern. Fetid adder's tongue—with its mottled green leaves, brown-purple striped flowers, and odor of rotting flesh—is particularly abundant. The fact that these species normally grow in the shady understory of redwood and Douglas fir forests, has led to speculation that prior to the 5,000 year occupation of the Ohlone Indians, who likely burned off the area to promote the growth of natural food sources, that the upper San Pedro watershed may have been host to primordial conifer forests.
Creek Dogwood, Arroyo Willow, Watercress, and several species of ferns are common in the middle and lower creeks. In the springtime, the meadows of the Middle Valley show off an array of wildflowers: California Poppies, Suncups, Buttercups, Wild Radish and Wild Mustard.
Wildlife is abundant at San Pedro Valley. Park inhabitants often seen are red-tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Quail, Scrub Jays, and Garter Snakes. Those observed less frequently include Deer, Bobcats, Grey Fox, Raccoons, Rabbits and Gopher Snakes.
The three forks of the San Pedro and its Brooks Creek tributary provide critical spawning areas for steelhead trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss). The steelhead spawning season is normally from December to February.
Pollution
In 1999, a group Pacifica residents formed the nonprofit San Pedro Creek Watershed Coalition, with the goal of protecting and enhancing the health of the San Pedro Creek and watershed. Their activities include monitoring, restoration, adaptive management, and education programs. The monitoring program has joined with a monitoring program of the Environmental Protection Agency, started in 1998, to track and identify sources of pollution in the creek. A year 2000 comprehensive study, in cooperation with the San Francisco State University Masters program reviewed the in-stream chemical, physical and biological qualities of the creek. A key finding of the study was that fecal bacteria levels in the North Fork and Main Stem of San Pedro Creek significantly exceeded the acceptable levels of exposure for recreation per the State of California and the EPA. The recreation use level is pertinent due to beach closures for recreational uses, including surfing, near the creek's mouth on the Pacific Ocean.The highest pollution levels were found during the wet season and were located at downstream sites during the highest during runoff events. The dominated pollution was E. coli traced to avian sources, but also significant association with dogs, human, horse, raccoon and deer. During the dry season the ratio of sources still was primarily avian, but raccoons and dogs become more dominant.
Restoration Projects
In 2005, the City of Pacifica completed a Capistrano Fish Passage restoration of the 1300 feet (396.2 m) of stream bed, including the restructuring of the Capistrano Bridge culvert. The improved culvert, in addition to a system of weirs and pools restored the ability of juvenile fish to travel upstream through this portion of the creek in 2005.In light of the historical problem of flooding, with large damaging floods occurring in 1962, 1972 and 1982 the City of Pacifica completed an ambitious five million dollar five year reconstruction project for the lower segment of San Pedro Creek in May 2005. This San Pedro Creek Flood Control Project which, in conjunction with the renovation adjacent stretches of the Pacifica State Beach, won the top national award from the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association for the year 2005.
See also
- List of watercourses in the San Francisco Bay Area
- Mid Fork, San Pedro Creek
- North Fork, San Pedro CreekNorth Fork, San Pedro CreekNorth Fork is the largest tributary of San Pedro Creek in Pacifica, San Mateo County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. North fork enters San Pedro Creek from the northeast less than 0.5 mile downstream from the junction of South Fork and Middle Fork....
- South Fork, San Pedro CreekSouth Fork, San Pedro CreekSouth Fork is a stream in San Mateo County, California. It is a tributary of San Pedro Creek....