Adobe Creek (Sonoma County, California) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Adobe Creek |
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Adobe Creek at the Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park.
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| Other name(s) | Casa Grande Creek |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Region | Sonoma County |
| Municipality | Petaluma, California |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Sonoma Mountain 7 mi (11 km) northeast of Petaluma, California 2,040 ft (620 m) 38°19′5″N 122°34′31″W / 38.31806°N 122.57528°W |
| River mouth | Petaluma River 2.5 miles east-southeast of Petaluma, California 3 ft (0.91 m) 38°13′26″N 122°36′19″W / 38.22389°N 122.60528°W |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 10 sq mi (26 km2) |
Adobe Creek is a small stream in Sonoma County, California. It flows south for about 7.5 miles (12 km). The creek passes by the historic Rancho Petaluma Adobe. It is also sometimes called Casa Grande Creek. Adobe Creek eventually flows into the Petaluma River.
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Where Does Adobe Creek Flow?
Adobe Creek starts on the western side of Sonoma Mountain. It flows downhill towards the south. The creek passes west of the Petaluma Reservoir. It then goes under a road called Manor Lane.
Near the Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park, the creek turns southwest. It crosses Adobe Road. From there, it follows Casa Grande Road. The creek goes under this road twice.
Adobe Creek also flows through the Adobe Creek Golf Club. It crosses Ely Boulevard and runs along Del Oro Park. Finally, it goes under Lakeville Highway (which is also State Route 116). The creek then crosses South McDowell Boulevard. It enters the Petaluma River about 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of the U.S. 101 bridge.
What is Adobe Creek's Watershed?
A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into one main stream or river. Adobe Creek's watershed covers about 10 square miles (26 square km).
The creek's starting point is in Lafferty Ranch. This is a 270-acre (1.1 square km) piece of land. The City of Petaluma has owned it since 1995. There have been ideas to turn Lafferty Ranch into a wilderness park. However, it is not open to the public right now.
The Petaluma Reservoir is also in the Adobe Creek watershed. This reservoir used to provide water for the city of Petaluma.
How Students Helped Adobe Creek
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In 1983, a group of high school students made a big difference for Adobe Creek. Their teacher, Tom Furrer, helped them start a group called United Anglers of Casa Grande High School. Their goal was to fix up the creek's habitat. They wanted to see if steelhead trout (a type of fish) could live there again.
At that time, Adobe Creek was in bad shape. It was often dry and full of trash. People thought it was a "dead stream." But tiny steelhead trout could still be found in small, drying pools.
The students worked hard. They removed many truckloads of trash from the creek. They also planted thousands of Coast Douglas-fir and willow trees. These trees help shade the water, keeping it cool for the fish.
The students also convinced officials in Petaluma to reopen Lawler Dam. This dam had been holding back water from the creek for many years. In October 1992, Adobe Creek flowed freely again for the first time in 80 years!
The next year, hundreds of young steelhead trout were counted in the creek. The wild steelhead population grew back without needing fish from hatcheries. Scientists later confirmed these fish were truly wild.
In 1990, five Chinook salmon returned to Adobe Creek to lay their eggs. This was the first time in a century that Chinook salmon were seen there. The students even built a salmon hatchery at their high school in 1993.
In 1996, another project helped the creek. They built a "step pool" near Adobe Road. This helps fish swim upstream more easily. In 2001, students made an important discovery. They found that young steelhead fish hide in the creekbed during dry summer months. They come out when the water flows again.
In 2002, a record 74 Chinook salmon returned to Adobe Creek. Wild steelhead trout continue to use the creek every year.
Bridges Over Adobe Creek
Several bridges cross over Adobe Creek. Here are some of them:
- Manor Lane crosses the creek about 0.77 miles (1.24 km) north of Adobe Road. This concrete bridge was built in 1960.
- Casa Grande Avenue crosses the creek two times:
- The first crossing is about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) south of Adobe Road. It's a concrete tunnel built in 1970.
- The second crossing is about 0.4 miles (0.64 km) north of Ely Road. This concrete tunnel was built in 1970 and fixed up in 1991.
- Ely Boulevard crosses the creek about 0.1 miles (0.16 km) southeast of Casa Grande Avenue. This concrete bridge was built in 1984.
- Sartori Drive crosses about 0.2 miles (0.32 km) southeast of Casa Grande Avenue. This concrete bridge was built in 1976.
- State Route 116 crosses the creek. This concrete bridge was built in 1954 and fixed up in 1997.
See Also
