Penitencia Creek facts for kids

Upper Penitencia Creek is one of two creeks named Penitencia Creek in northeastern Santa Clara County, California. Both creeks flow into Coyote Creek. Around 1850, a farmer changed the path of the upper creek to water his fields. This change permanently separated Upper Penitencia Creek from Lower Penitencia Creek.

Upper Penitencia Creek starts on the western side of Mount Hamilton in the Diablo Range. It flows through Alum Rock Park before joining Coyote Creek near Berryessa Road in San Jose. Experts are looking for ways to improve the creek's flow and store floodwater. They also want to help native animals that live there.

Lower Penitencia Creek follows the old Mission Road between Mission Santa Clara and Mission San Jose. It runs through the city of Milpitas. Several smaller creeks, like Berryessa Creek, flow into it. Lower Penitencia Creek then joins Coyote Creek close to San Francisco Bay.

History of Penitencia Creek

What's in a Name?

The Ohlone people, who lived here long ago, called the creek Shistuk. This name might have meant "place of rabbits." However, some experts believe the word for rabbit in Ohlone languages was "weren," so "place of rabbits" would be "Weren-tak." Another idea is that "Shistuk" is closer to "Čéeyiš," which means "jackrabbit" in the Chocheño language. If so, it would mean "Place of the Jackrabbits."

Later, the creek was known as Arroyo de las Penitencia. This name came from a house called Penitencia Adobe. During the time of the missions, this house was used for confession and penance. Even earlier, in 1769, explorers Pedro Fages and Father Crespí crossed a creek they called Encarnacion Arroyo while exploring the area.

How the Creeks Split

In the 1800s, what we now call Upper Penitencia Creek was known as Arroyo Aguaje. An aguaje is a spring or a place where water collects. A part of this old name, Arroyo Aguague, is still used for a main stream that flows into Upper Penitencia Creek.

Around 1840, Arroyo Aguaje flowed into a marshy area with willow trees. This marsh then flowed into what is now Lower Penitencia Creek. But in the 1850s, Arroyo Aguaje was redirected to flow directly into Coyote Creek. After this change, it became known as Upper Penitencia Creek.

Where Does the Creek Flow?

The area that Upper Penitencia Creek drains is about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers). The creek itself flows for about 11 miles (18 kilometers) before it meets Coyote Creek. Coyote Creek then flows about 10 miles (16 kilometers) further to San Francisco Bay.

Upper Penitencia Creek starts high up on Poverty Ridge in the Diablo Range. It flows into Cherry Flat Reservoir and then through Alum Rock Park. In the park, another stream called Arroyo Aguague joins it. Even during dry summers, Arroyo Aguague usually has some water because it flows through a fault zone.

Further down, Upper Penitencia Creek forms a natural border between the Berryessa and Alum Rock areas of San Jose. Unlike many other creeks in the Santa Clara Valley, Upper Penitencia Creek mostly follows its natural path. It does not have concrete walls or artificial banks.

Animals and Nature

Upper Penitencia Creek is home to steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Some studies suggest that coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) might have also lived here in the past.

In 2005, a study counted between 1,300 and 1,500 young steelhead trout in the creek. These fish were found in the creek from about 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) upstream of Coyote Creek up to natural waterfalls. There are not many big obstacles that stop fish from swimming upstream to lay their eggs. However, there is a man-made concrete structure in Alum Rock Park that makes it harder for fish to pass. The City of San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) are planning to remove this barrier to help the fish.

During dry summers, the creek can dry up about a mile below Alum Rock Park. Water is sometimes sent to special ponds to help recharge the creek's flow further downstream. However, this can also make the creek dry up too early in spring, which might affect young steelhead trout trying to swim out to the ocean.

A study of creeks in the Bay Area found that Upper Penitencia Creek is one of the best places in Santa Clara County to help steelhead trout populations grow. The other two creeks are Stevens Creek and the Guadalupe River.

Trails and Fun Activities

The Penitencia Creek Trail follows parts of the upper creek. It starts as an unpaved path near Noble Avenue. Along the way, you can see ponds that are open to the public. The trail becomes paved as it goes through Penitencia Creek Park. It passes under Interstate 680 and ends near the Berryessa BART station.

In 2008, the trail became part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail network. This means it helps connect people to Alum Rock Park and the Boccardo Trail, which are also part of the Ridge Trail. In the future, the Penitencia Creek Trail will connect to Coyote Creek, which will then link to the San Francisco Bay Trail.

To protect the trout population, fishing is not allowed in Upper Penitencia Creek at any time of the year.