Pescadero Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pescadero Creek |
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| Other name(s) | Arroyo del Pescadero, Pescador River |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Region | San Mateo County and Santa Cruz counties |
| City | Pescadero |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | western edge of Castle Rock State Park 1,880 ft (570 m) 37°14′25″N 122°09′12″W / 37.24028°N 122.15333°W |
| River mouth | Pacific Ocean 14.4 miles (23 km) south of Half Moon Bay, California 10 ft (3.0 m) 37°15′50″N 122°24′26″W / 37.26389°N 122.40722°W |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 170 sq mi (440 km2) |
| Tributaries |
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Pescadero Creek is a really important stream in California, flowing through Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties. It's the longest stream in San Mateo County, stretching about 26.6 miles (42.8 km). This creek flows all year round, starting high up in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It winds its way through beautiful parks like Pescadero Creek County Park and San Mateo County Memorial Park before reaching the Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve at Pescadero State Beach and then the Pacific Ocean.
Contents
History of Pescadero Creek
Pescadero is a Spanish word that means "fishing place." Long ago, in 1814, people like John Gilroy and the Castros gave the creek this name because it was a great spot to catch salmon. Old maps from the 1830s called it Arroyo del Pescadero, and later, in the 1860s, it was known as the Pescador River. The town of Pescadero, California was founded by Spanish-speaking people in 1856.
Native American History
Before Europeans arrived, the Ohlone people lived in the Pescadero area. Different groups of Ohlone, like the Quirostes and Oljon, managed the land. They often used fire as a tool to keep the land healthy. When explorers traveled through in 1769, they noted that only areas near water had trees, while other places were covered in grass, often burned.
Logging and Industry
In 1923, the Santa Cruz Lumber Company built a sawmill near the creek. They created a log pond by building a wooden dam in the creek. The sawmill was a busy place, employing many workers and producing a lot of redwood and Douglas fir lumber every day.
To move logs, they built a forest railway that stretched over 7 miles (11 km) up Pescadero Creek. A special train called a Shay locomotive was used to bring the logs down to the sawmill. This railway operated from 1930 until 1950, when the tracks were changed into a road for trucks. The sawmill finally closed in 1972.
Changes to the Marsh
Starting in the late 1920s, farmers began to build walls called levees and drain parts of the marsh to create farmland. This continued through the 1960s. The State of California began buying land in the 1960s to protect it. In the early 1960s, farmers used a special machine called a dragline to remove mud from Butano Creek to build a long levee. However, the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) stopped this practice in 1963 to protect fish.
The bridge for Highway One was rebuilt between 1989 and 1990. The new bridge was designed to have fewer supports and be closer to the ocean, which helps protect the creek and the lagoon. The original bridge was built in the early 1940s.
Ecology of Pescadero Creek
Over the years, a lot of logging and building in the area has caused more mud and dirt (called sediment) to flow into Pescadero and Butano creeks. Both streams are now listed as "impaired" due to this sediment. There have also been worries about pesticides from farms running into the marsh. Studies have shown high nutrient levels, which can cause algae blooms. These blooms can lead to low oxygen levels at night, which might harm fish. Pesticides that could be harmful to fish have also been found in the sediment.
Fish and Wildlife
Historically, Pescadero Creek and Butano Creek were home to many steelhead trout and coho salmon. These streams used to be shaded by dense forests, with cool water and plenty of places for fish to live and hide. They were famous spots for fishing in the late 1800s.
However, after much of the forest was cut down, the habitat changed. In 1985, about 10,000 steelhead trout were counted in the lagoon, but by 2008, that number had dropped to 750. Coho salmon have become very rare. In 2003, 17,000 hatchery-raised coho were released into Pescadero Creek, but very few returned. Luckily, in 2015, biologists found three coho salmon spawning in the creek, which was a hopeful sign!
Beavers Return
California Golden Beavers were brought back to Pescadero Creek around 1937-1938 by the DFG. Beavers had almost disappeared from California. These beavers are now doing well! Even though some people worry about flooding from beaver dams, there's evidence that beavers actually help the creek. Their dams can slow down sediment and help keep water in the creek during dry seasons. Beaver ponds also create great places for salmon and trout to live and grow. Most beaver dams don't stop fish from migrating, especially when water levels are good. It's now known that beavers used to live in almost all parts of California, including the coast.
Pescadero Marsh
The Pescadero Marsh is where Pescadero Creek and Butano Creek meet. For many years, it has been a very important home for both migrating birds and local wildlife. It's a safe place for birds to nest in winter and a crucial area for young coho salmon, steelhead trout, and other fish and amphibian species to grow.
Since 1995, hundreds of young fish and crabs have died in the late fall when the sandbar between the lagoon and the ocean breaks open. When water levels change quickly, many animals get cut off from their homes, and the whole ecosystem suffers. People and wildlife groups have asked California State Parks to help fix this problem, and a group called the Pescadero Lagoon Science Panel was created in 2013 to find solutions.
Steelhead Restoration
A project to help the steelhead trout population has shown good results. In 2012, the project was successful, and efforts may continue to help these fish thrive.
Pescadero Creek Watershed
The Pescadero-Butano watershed is the largest coastal watershed between the Golden Gate and the San Lorenzo River. A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into one main river or stream. The two main streams in this watershed, Pescadero Creek and Butano Creek, meet in the Pescadero Marsh. Together, they drain about 81 square miles (210 km2) of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Some of the biggest smaller streams that flow into Pescadero Creek include Peters Creek, Oil Creek, Slate Creek, and Butano Creek.
Tributaries
- Butano Creek
- Bradley Creek
- Chandler Gulch
- Honsinger Creek
- Windmill Gulch
- Big Chicken Hollow
- Little Chicken Hollow
- Newell Gulch
- Roy Gulch
- Blomquist Creek
- Peterson Creek
- Hoffman Creek
- McCormick Creek
- Harwood Creek
- Dark Gulch
- Keyston Creek
- Carriger Creek
- Rhododendron Creek
- Tarwater Creek
- Peters Creek
- Evans Creek
- Bear Creek
- Lambert Creek
- Fall Creek
- Iverson Creek
- Slate Creek
- Oil Creek
- Little Boulder Creek
- Waterman Creek
Images for kids
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Pescadero Creek
