Pinole Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pinole Creek |
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Region | Contra Costa County |
| City | Pinole, California |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Briones Hills 6 mi (10 km) west of Pleasant Hill, California 1,090 ft (330 m) 37°57′3″N 122°9′34″W / 37.95083°N 122.15944°W |
| River mouth | Chelsea Wetlands, San Pablo Bay Hercules 7 ft (2.1 m) 38°0′51″N 122°17′48″W / 38.01417°N 122.29667°W |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries |
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Pinole Creek is a stream located in western Contra Costa County, California. It flows through the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. This creek is special because its surrounding land is mostly undeveloped. This means it's one of the last areas like this in the Bay Area.
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Where Pinole Creek Flows
Pinole Creek starts high up in the Briones Hills, on a peak called Costa Peak. This area is part of Briones Regional Park. From there, the creek flows about 10 miles (16 km) west. It passes through the towns of Pinole and El Sobrante.
The creek then reaches its end at the Chelsea Wetlands in Hercules. Here, it flows into San Pablo Bay. This spot is about 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Point Pinole.
The History of Pinole Creek
The name "Pinole" comes from a Spanish word. It means "parched corn," which was a type of corn meal eaten by Mexican people.
In 1823, a large area of land was given to a man named Don Ignacio Martinez. He was in charge of the San Francisco Presidio, a military fort. This land, about 17,000 acres (69 km²), included Pinole Creek.
This land was first called El Rancho de La Nuestra Sonora de Merced. Later, it was renamed Rancho El Pinole. Martinez built the first adobe (a type of mud-brick house) in the Pinole Valley. He and his family settled there, raising animals and growing fruit.
Understanding the Pinole Creek Watershed
A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into one main river or creek. The Pinole Creek watershed is about 39.6 square miles (102.6 km²) in size. It stretches from its start in the Briones Hills all the way to San Pablo Bay.
The upper part of the watershed has large open spaces. Here, you'll find ranches, farms, and homes with horses. The lower part of the watershed includes the old town area of Pinole. It also has neighborhoods in Pinole, El Sobrante, and Hercules.
On average, the Pinole Creek watershed gets about 24 inches (610 mm) of rain each year. Most of this rain falls between November and April. The creek also has twelve smaller streams that flow into it.
In 1965, the Army Corps of Engineers changed a part of the creek. They added a hard lining to the creek channel near Interstate 80 to help control floods. However, this removed many plants and trees along the creek banks. These plants were important because they provided food, shelter, and shade for fish and other wildlife.
Animals and Plants of Pinole Creek
Animals in Pinole Creek
Biologists have seen Steelhead trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss) of different ages in Pinole Creek. Studies suggest these trout are native to Central California. This means they were not brought in from somewhere else.
Even though water use in the upper creek can sometimes reduce the flow, Pinole Creek might be one of the best places in the East Bay to help trout recover. This is because large parts of the watershed are still open land. However, the Interstate 80 crossing might make it hard for trout to swim upstream.
Pinole Creek is home to many native fish. These include rainbow/steelhead trout, California roach (Lavinia symmetricus), Sacramento sucker (Catostomus occidentalis), and Threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). You can also find Prickly sculpin (Cottus asper).
Some non-native fish are also found in the lower part of the creek, below Interstate 80. These include Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and Common carp (Cyprinus carpio).
Plants of Pinole Creek
The native plants along Pinole Creek are typical of California chaparral and woodlands and riparian forest habitats. Riparian forests are special forests that grow along rivers and streams.
However, some non-native plants have also grown along the creek. These are called invasive species because they can take over and harm the native plants. Examples include Giant reed (Arundo donax), Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius), Yellow star thistle (Centaurea solstitialis), and Himalayan blackberry (Rubus discolor).
