San Leandro Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids San Leandro Creek |
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 Location of the mouth of San Leandro Creek in California
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| Other name(s) | Arroyo de San Leandro, Rio San Leandro |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Region | Alameda County, Contra Costa County |
| City | San Leandro, California |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | east of Oakland, California 1,140 ft (350 m) 37°50′47″N 122°11′43″W / 37.84639°N 122.19528°W |
| River mouth | San Francisco Bay Oakland, California, just north of Oakland International Airport 0 ft (0 m) 37°44′34″N 122°12′28″W / 37.74278°N 122.20778°W |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries |
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San Leandro Creek (Spanish: Arroyo de San Leandro) is a natural stream in California. It flows year-round for about 21.7 miles (35 kilometers). The creek starts in the hills above Oakland. It runs through Alameda County and Contra Costa County. This area is part of the East Bay region in northern California.
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San Leandro Creek: A Bay Area Stream
San Leandro Creek is an important waterway in the East Bay. It helps shape the landscape and supports local wildlife. The creek's name, "Arroyo de San Leandro," comes from Spanish. It was likely named after Saint Leander, a 6th-century archbishop.
Where San Leandro Creek Flows
The creek begins on the eastern side of the hills. These hills are east of Oakland and San Leandro. It flows into two large reservoirs. First, it enters Upper San Leandro Reservoir. Then, it flows into Lake Chabot. Both of these reservoirs are north of Castro Valley.
After the reservoirs, the creek continues through the city of San Leandro. It crosses Hegenberger Road. This is just north of Oakland International Airport. Finally, San Leandro Creek empties into San Leandro Bay. This bay is part of the larger San Francisco Bay.
The Creek's Water Collection Area
A watershed is an area of land. All the water that falls on this land drains into a common point. San Leandro Creek has its own watershed. Even though parts of the creek are covered or channeled, most of it flows openly. This is special for streams in the East Bay.
Many smaller streams join San Leandro Creek. These are called tributaries. Indian Creek joins it first. Then, at Upper San Leandro Reservoir, Moraga Creek, Redwood Creek, Buckhorn Creek, and Kaiser Creek add their water. Just below the dam, Miller Creek joins. At Lake Chabot, Grass Valley Creek flows in. After this, the creek flows down to San Leandro Bay.
Special Places Along the Creek
One important tributary is Redwood Creek. It is protected by Redwood Regional Park. This park has the largest natural group of coast redwood trees in the East Bay. These trees are very tall and old.
The creek ends at Arrowhead Marsh in Oakland. This marsh is one of the few wetlands left in the East Bay. Marshes are important habitats for many animals. Arrowhead Marsh formed between 1855 and 1895. It was created by soil washing down from San Leandro Creek. This happened during the building of the Lake Chabot dam. It also happened from logging the San Antonio Forest.
A Look Back: History of the Creek
| Rainbow trout species identified | |
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| Location | 50 yards past Redwood Gate entrance kiosk, Redwood Regional Park |
| Designated | 1986 |
| Reference no. | 970 |
San Leandro Creek has a long history. It was once called Arroyo de San Leandro. An old road, El Camino Viejo, used to cross it. This road is now State Route 185.
The World's First Rainbow Trout Hatchery
San Leandro Creek is famous for something special. It was the site of the world's first rainbow trout hatchery. A hatchery is a place where fish eggs are hatched and young fish are raised. This hatchery used a type of rainbow trout native to the area. Fish from this hatchery were sent to places as far away as New York.
In 1855, a scientist named William P. Gibbons studied the trout here. He thought he found a new type of trout. He named it Salmo iridea. Today, we know this is a subspecies of coastal rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus). Because of this important discovery, the site was made a California Historical Landmark.
Building Dams: Lake Chabot
Work began on the Lake Chabot Dam in 1874. It was finished in 1875. This dam created a large lake, about 315 acres in size. Lake Chabot is an emergency water supply. It was opened for some fun activities like boating in the 1960s.
Four miles upstream, another dam was built in 1926. This dam formed the San Leandro Reservoir. These dams changed how the creek flows.
Animals and Plants of San Leandro Creek
The creek helps support the redwood groves in Canyon, California. In the past, the lower parts of the creek were full of oak trees and willow trees. These trees provided homes and food for many animals.
Fish That Call the Creek Home
Historically, several types of salmon and trout lived in San Leandro Creek. Records show that Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were present. They were even seen in Lake Chabot after the dam was built in 1875.
There were also reports of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus). Steelhead trout are a type of rainbow trout that migrate to the ocean. These fish were seen in the creek before the dams were built. Even after the Upper San Leandro Reservoir was completed, some fish still came to the base of the dam.
Today, the rainbow trout in Lake Chabot are from hatcheries. However, the rainbow trout in San Leandro Reservoir are special. They are descendants of native steelhead trout. These fish were trapped when the San Leandro Dam was built in 1926. They have kept their original genes because they haven't mixed with hatchery fish. In 1983, these special trout were used to bring steelhead back to Wildcat Creek.
