Glen Echo Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Glen Echo Creek |
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A section of Glen Echo Creek in Oak Glen Park
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| Other name(s) | Cemetery Creek |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Alameda |
| City | Oakland |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Oakland Hills |
| River mouth | Lake Merritt 37°48′38″N 122°15′42″W / 37.81062°N 122.26169°W |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2) |
| Tributaries |
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Glen Echo Creek is a small creek in Oakland, California. It is also known as Cemetery Creek. This creek starts in the Oakland Hills and flows all the way to Lake Merritt. Most of Glen Echo Creek flows underground, but you can see parts of it on the surface in a few spots. The creek has two smaller streams that join it: the Rockridge Branch and the Broadway Branch.
The Journey of Glen Echo Creek
Glen Echo Creek is part of a larger area called the Glen Echo Creek Watershed. A watershed is like a big bowl where all the rain and water drain into one main river or creek. This watershed covers about 2.6 square miles. It collects water from areas like Upper Rockridge, Piedmont Avenue, and Piedmont.
Both the main creek and its Rockridge Branch begin high up in the Oakland Hills. The main Glen Echo Creek flows past the Mountain View Cemetery. Then it goes through the Piedmont Avenue neighborhood. Here, you can see the creek above ground for a bit, especially in a small park called Glen Echo Creek Park.
After this, the creek goes underground again inside a culvert. A culvert is like a tunnel that carries water. It then comes back to the surface at Oak Glen Park. This park is along Richmond Boulevard. From there, the creek mostly stays underground until it reaches Lake Merritt.
The Rockridge Branch
The Rockridge Branch also starts in the Oakland Hills. It flows into a pond near Pleasant Valley Avenue. This branch then continues as the Broadway Branch. You can see it briefly near 38th Street and Manila Avenue. After that, it flows under Mosswood Park. Finally, it joins the main Glen Echo Creek closer to Lake Merritt.
Protecting Glen Echo Creek
People have worked to protect Glen Echo Creek for a long time.
In 1905, two developers named Frank and Wickham Havers bought and protected the Oak Glen Park area. They were inspired by the City Beautiful Movement, which encouraged making cities more beautiful with parks and green spaces. This park contains a 1,500-foot section of the creek. It is surrounded by live oak trees. A stone bridge and a pergola (a garden archway) were added in 1911. However, these structures are now quite old and need repair.
In 1976, people living near Piedmont Avenue started working to protect the creek. The local flood control group wanted to cover up the open section of the creek that is now Glen Echo Creek Park. They planned to pave over it.
In 1984, the creek was damaged by large machines used by the flood control group. A brave woman lay down in front of the machines to stop them. She then got support from her neighbors. Together, they successfully stopped the project. The flood control group had to fix the damage they caused. The creek section was made stable and restored. New native plants were added, including redwood, maple, and alder trees. By 2001, this part of the creek needed more work. So, the city of Oakland restored it again in 2002.
In 2015, the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) accidentally spilled a lot of cement into the creek. This happened in Upper Rockridge. The California Regional Water Quality Control Board made EBMUD pay a fine for the spill.
