Sycamore Creek (Contra Costa County) facts for kids
Sycamore Creek is a stream in Contra Costa County, California. It's called a perennial stream because it usually flows all year round. The city of Danville, California and the East Bay Municipal Utility District have even built a trail along part of the creek, which is great for exploring!
About Sycamore Creek
During the late summer, when it's very dry, the creek doesn't have much water. It can look a bit murky green, and sometimes it's just a series of still pools. But don't worry, it doesn't smell bad! You might notice that parts of the creekbed have concrete and rocks to help keep the banks strong.
The creek gets water from rain and runoff from nearby open spaces and homes. Along the middle part of the creek, there's a narrow but rich area of plants that love water, like cattails and many different kinds of trees and smaller plants. When it rains a lot, from November to March, the creek flows very strongly. Even in summer, water is released once a week from a private reservoir upstream to keep the creek flowing.
Where Does it Start?
Sycamore Creek begins high up on Mount Diablo, which is a protected natural area. This upper part of the creek is very beautiful. It even has some rocks from the Miocene period that contain fossils! This area is also home to many rare species and endangered species of plants and animals, including some special ones that only grow on certain types of rock called serpentine.
What's Around the Creek?
For about 5 kilometers (3 miles) in the middle part of Sycamore Creek, there isn't much risk of harmful chemicals getting into the water. This is because the areas next to the creek are mostly a country club, homes, and open rural land.
