Snell Creek is a 2.1 miles (3.4 km) watercourse in Napa County, California

Napa County, California

Napa County is a county located north of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is coterminous with the Napa, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population is 136,484. The county seat is Napa....

. Snell Creek is a tributary of Butts Creek, which ultimately discharges to Lake Berryessa

Lake Berryessa

Lake Berryessa is the largest lake in Napa County, California. This reservoir is formed by the Monticello Dam, which provides water and hydroelectricity to the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area....

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Snell Creek is situated approximately five miles north of Aetna Springs

Aetna Springs, California

Aetna Springs is an unincorporated community in Napa County, California, United States. It lies at an elevation of 771 feet . The ZIP Code is 94567. The community is inside area code 707.It was named after a nearby hot spring...

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Plants

Snell Valley

Snell Valley

Snell Valley is a depression landform in Napa County, California. This feature is located approximately five miles north of Aetna Springs. The valley is noted for its diversity of wildflowers, and within Snell Valley is the Missimer Wildflower Preserve. An example of wildflowers in Snell Valley is...

 is noted for its biodiversity

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...

 of flora

Flora

Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...

, and within Snell Valley is the Missimer Wildflower Preserve

Missimer Wildflower Preserve

The Missimer Wildflower Preserve is a protected native grassland in Napa County, California. The preserve is situated on considerable serpentine soil, leading to specially adapted flora. Situated within Snell Valley, the preserve is noted for its biodiversity of flora...

. An example of wildflowers in the Snell Creek watershed is Yellow Mariposa Lily, Calochortus luteus

Calochortus luteus

Calochortus luteus, or Yellow mariposa lily, is a mariposa lily endemic to California.-Description:The primarily a bright deep yellow flower is 3-5cm across and perianth Bulb-shaped, lined red-brown inside, often also with central red-brown blotch and sparse hair inside.-Distribution:This species...

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