Mission Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mission Creek |
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Mission Creek, looking east.
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Region | San Francisco Bay Area |
| City | San Francisco |
| District | Mission Bay |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Camp and Albion Streets San Francisco 486 ft (148 m) 37°45′51″N 122°25′22″W / 37.764039°N 122.422702°W |
| River mouth | China Basin |
Mission Creek is a river in San Francisco, California. Its name comes from the Spanish word misión, meaning "mission." This river was once much larger. It flowed from Mission Bay far into the city. Near Mission Dolores, several smaller streams joined to form it.
Over time, most of Mission Creek has been covered up. It now flows underground in large pipes, a process called culverting. The only part of the creek still visible above ground is the Mission Creek Channel. This channel flows into China Basin, which is part of San Francisco Bay. Long ago, two Ramaytush Native American villages, Chutchui and Sitlintac, were located along Mission Creek.
Contents
History of Mission Creek
Early Days of the Creek
In 1854, the state government officially called Mission Creek a "navigable stream." This meant boats could use it. Even though most of the creek was filled in by 1874, it still has this official title today.
Earthquake Dangers
Parts of the creek that were buried can be risky during earthquakes. This is because of something called soil liquefaction. This happens when strong shaking turns loose, wet soil into a liquid-like mud. It caused many deaths in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Buildings and Boats
The China Basin Building was built on the north side of the creek in the 1920s. For many years, it was used to unload and prepare bananas. Later, in the 1970s, it became a place where food was given out.
Since 1960, a special community of houseboats has been located along the south side of Mission Creek. The state of California moved these houseboats here from Islais Creek. This was done to make space for large merchant ships.
Baseball and McCovey Cove
Since the year 2000, the end of Mission Creek has been famous among Major League Baseball fans. It is now known as McCovey Cove. This happened when the San Francisco Giants baseball team moved to Oracle Park. Their new stadium is on the north side of the creek. When a player hits a home run over the right field wall, the baseball often splashes into the water of McCovey Cove!
Lake Dolores
The Laguna Dolores was a lake that was fed by Mission Creek. This lake was the original location of Mission Dolores. It likely stretched between Mission Street and Valencia Street, and between 16th and 20th streets. Over time, this lake was filled in with sand.
