San Felipe Creek (Santa Clara County) facts for kids

San Felipe Creek is a stream about 14 miles (22.5 km) long. It starts in the western Diablo Range mountains in Santa Clara County, California. The creek flows south through two old ranch lands. These are called Rancho Los Huecos and Rancho Cañada de San Felipe y Las Animas.

Eventually, San Felipe Creek joins Las Animas Creek just before Anderson Reservoir. San Felipe Creek is one of the nine main streams that feed into Coyote Creek. Its waters then travel through the Santa Clara Valley and the city of San Jose. Finally, they reach San Francisco Bay.

History of San Felipe Creek

The names San Felipe Creek and San Felipe Valley have been used for a long time. They appear in official records from 1838 and 1844. These records are about Mexican land grants, which were large areas of land given out in California.

On a map made in 1841 by Wilkes, the creek was even called the San Felipe River.

Later, the families of HP founders, Bill Hewlett and David Packard, bought land in the San Felipe Valley. They put together a huge area called the San Felipe Ranch, which was about 28,359 acres (115 km²). This ranch was used for farming and raising animals for about 50 years. Today, this land is protected by a special agreement with the Nature Conservancy. This means the land and its nature will be kept safe.

Where Does the Creek Flow?

San Felipe Creek begins on the eastern side of Master's Hill. This spot is just west of Joseph D. Grant County Park. The creek flows downhill to the east, following Quimby Road. It enters the park near the Mt. Hamilton Road entrance.

From there, the creek heads south through Hall's Valley and then the San Felipe Valley. Along its journey, other smaller streams join it. These include Boyds Creek, Cow Creek, and Carlin Canyon Creek. All these streams flow into San Felipe Creek from the left side as you go downstream.

The creek travels for about 14 miles (22.5 km). Its watershed, which is the area of land that drains water into the creek, covers about 8 square miles (21 km²). San Felipe Creek then meets Las Animas Creek just before reaching Anderson Reservoir.

Animals and Habitats in the Creek

San Felipe Creek is an important home for many animals. It has been a pathway for fish for a very long time.

Fish in San Felipe Creek

A report from 1962 showed that San Felipe Creek was a historic route for steelhead trout. These fish are a type of rainbow trout. They used the creek to migrate, meaning they traveled through it to reach different parts of their habitat.

More recent studies have found many rainbow trout living in San Felipe Creek. They also found them in its smaller branch, Cow Creek.

Coho salmon used to live in the wider Coyote Creek area until the 1950s. This suggests that some places in the watershed were good for them to lay eggs and grow. These areas were likely in San Felipe Creek and Upper Penitencia Creek.

The building of Anderson Dam in 1950 probably stopped any coho salmon from reaching San Felipe Creek. However, San Felipe Creek still has places that could be good for coho salmon. This is because cool groundwater flows into the creek from the Calaveras Fault zone. This keeps the water temperature low, which salmon need.

Other Wildlife in the Area

Tule elk are a type of elk that were brought back to the San Felipe Ranch. This happened between 1978 and 1981. These elk were once thought to be completely gone from the area. But a breeding pair was found in the San Joaquin Valley in 1874-1875.

Today, about 400 tule elk live in parts of Santa Clara County and Alameda County. A study from 1985 showed that more than half of what these elk eat is grass.

Rare amphibians also depend on San Felipe Creek for their home. These include the California red-legged frog, the Foothill yellow-legged frog, and the Western pond turtle.