Llagas Creek

Last updated
Llagas Creek
View of Llagas Creek from bridge on Oak Glen Ave, March 2017.jpg
Llagas Creek near Oak Glen Avenue, March 2017
Location
Country United States
State California
Region Santa Clara County
City Gilroy, California
Physical characteristics
SourceOn the eastern flank of Crystal Peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains
  coordinates 37°06′59″N121°50′02″W / 37.11639°N 121.83389°W / 37.11639; -121.83389 [1]
  elevation3,360 ft (1,020 m)
Mouth Confluence with Pajaro River just after passing through Lower Miller Slough
  coordinates
36°57′50″N121°30′28″W / 36.96389°N 121.50778°W / 36.96389; -121.50778 Coordinates: 36°57′50″N121°30′28″W / 36.96389°N 121.50778°W / 36.96389; -121.50778 [1]
  elevation
141 ft (43 m) [1]
Basin features
Tributaries 
  leftTwin Falls Creek, Baldy Ryan Canyon, Heron Creek, Tilton Creek, Paradise Creek, East Little Llagas Creek, Church Creek, Skillet Creek, Panther Creek, Live Oak Creek, Alamias Creek
  right Cañada Garcia Creek, Machado Creek, Hayes Creek, Lions Creek, Princevalle Drain

Llagas Creek is a perennial stream in Santa Clara County, California, United States. [2] The headwaters rise on the eastern side of Crystal Peak near Loma Prieta. From there, the creek flows northeast along Casa Loma Road, until it reaches Uvas Road, and then turns south. At Oak Glen Avenue, the creek turns southeast, passing through Chesbro Reservoir, and the cities of Morgan Hill, San Martin, and Gilroy. The creek continues its southward flow, eventually joining with the Pajaro River at the San Benito County line.

A perennial stream or perennial river is a stream or river (channel) that has continuous flow in parts of its stream bed all year round during years of normal rainfall. "Perennial" streams are contrasted with "intermittent" streams which normally cease flowing for weeks or months each year, and with "ephemeral" channels that flow only for hours or days following rainfall. During unusually dry years, a normally perennial stream may cease flowing, becoming intermittent for days, weeks, or months depending on severity of the drought. The boundaries between perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral channels are not defined, and subject to a variety of identification methods adopted by local governments, academics, and others with a need to classify stream-flow permanence.

Santa Clara County, California County in California, United States

Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is California's 6th most populous county, with a population of 1,781,642, as of the 2010 census. The county seat and largest city is San Jose, the 10th most populous city in the United States, California's 3rd most populous city and the most populous city in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Crystal Peak (Santa Clara County, California)

Crystal Peak is a prominent peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains in southwest Santa Clara County, California, United States. The landmark lies 10 mi (16 km) west of Morgan Hill, and approximately 0.5 mi (1 km) northeast of Loma Prieta. It is the second highest peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The headwaters of Llagas Creek originate on the eastern flank of the peak, and flow southward before merging with the Pajaro River at the San Benito County line.

Contents

The lower Llagas Creek, south of Gilroy, passes through a system of percolation ponds (Lower Miller Slough) which are used to treat wastewater in the area. [3] [4] [5]

South Santa Clara Valley, California census county division in California, United States

South Santa Clara Valley is a census county division (CCD) located in south Santa Clara County, California. The area covers approximately 118 square miles (310 km2), and includes the cities of Morgan Hill, San Martin, and Gilroy as well as their immediate outlying unincorporated areas. The area is bounded by Coyote to the north, Llagas-Uvas to the west, Diablo Range to the east, and San Benito County to the south.

See also

Riparian zone interface between land and a river or stream

A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by hydrophilic plants. Riparian zones are important in ecology, environmental resource management, and civil engineering because of their role in soil conservation, their habitat biodiversity, and the influence they have on fauna and aquatic ecosystems, including grasslands, woodlands, wetlands, or even non-vegetative areas. In some regions the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone,riparian corridor and riparian strip are used to characterize a riparian zone. The word riparian is derived from Latin ripa, meaning river bank.

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Morgan Hill, California City in California

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Coyote Creek (Santa Clara County) river in United States of America

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Stevens Creek (California) river in the United States of America

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Pajaro River river in the United States of America

The Pajaro River, is a U.S. river in the Central Coast region of California, forming part of the border between San Benito and Santa Clara Counties, the entire border between San Benito and Santa Cruz County, and the entire border between Santa Cruz and Monterey County. Flowing roughly east to west, the river empties into Monterey Bay, west of Watsonville, California.

Los Gatos Creek (Santa Clara County, California) river in the United States of America

The Los Gatos Creek runs 24 miles (39 km) in California through Santa Clara Valley Water District's Guadalupe Watershed from the Santa Cruz Mountains northward through the Santa Clara Valley until its confluence with the Guadalupe River in downtown San Jose. The Guadalupe River then continues onward into San Francisco Bay.

Upper Penitencia Creek is actually one of two creeks by the name Penitencia Creek in the northeastern Santa Clara Valley of Santa Clara County, California. They are both tributaries of Coyote Creek. The upper creek was diverted southwestward, connecting it directly to Coyote Creek ca. 1850 by a farmer to irrigate his fields, permanently splitting Upper Penitencia Creek from Lower Penitencia Creek. Upper Penitencia Creek drains the western slopes of Mount Hamilton of the Diablo Range, and passes through Alum Rock Park, before ending at its confluence with Coyote Creek at Berryessa Road. In December 2018, the San Francisco Estuary Institute published a report commissioned by the Santa Clara Valley Water District to establish a vision for Upper Penitencia Creek's lower four miles focusing on ways "to expand flow conveyance and flood water storage from the Coyote Creek confluence upstream to the Dorel Drive bridge in a manner that works with the existing landscape features and supports habitats for native species".

Uvas Creek river in the United States of America

Uvas Creek is a 29.5-mile-long (47.5 km) mainly southward-flowing stream originating on Loma Prieta peak of the Santa Cruz Mountains, in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The creek descends through Uvas Canyon County Park into Uvas Reservoir near Morgan Hill, and on through Uvas Creek Preserve and Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy. Upon passing U.S. Highway 101 it is known as Carnadero Creek, shortly before the confluence with the Pajaro River at the Santa Clara County - San Benito County boundary.

Uvas Reservoir

Uvas Reservoir is an artificial lake located west of San Martin, California in the United States. The reservoir is surrounded by a 626-acre (253 ha) park managed by the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department. The park provides limited fishing ("catch-and-release"), picnicking, and hiking activities. Boating is not permitted in the reservoir.

Llagas-Uvas, California census county division in California, United States

Llagas-Uvas is an unincorporated, census county division (CCD) located on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains in southwest Santa Clara County, California. The area covers approximately 102 square miles (260 km2), much of it open space, and contains the Uvas and Chesbro reservoirs, as well as the Calero, Uvas Canyon, Rancho Cañada del Oro, and Mount Madonna county parks.

Anderson Lake (California)

Anderson Lake, informally called Anderson Reservoir, is an artificial lake in Santa Clara County, California, United States, near Morgan Hill. A 4,275-acre (1,730 ha) county park surrounds the reservoir and provides limited fishing, picnicking, and hiking activities. Although swimming is prohibited, boating, water-skiing and jet-skiing are permitted in the reservoir.

Chesbro Lake

Chesbro Reservoir is an artificial lake located three miles (5 km) west of Morgan Hill, California, in the United States. A 232-acre (94 ha) county park surrounds the reservoir and provides limited fishing ("catch-and-release"), picnicking, and hiking activities. Swimming and boating are not permitted in the reservoir.

Sycamore Creek is a perennial stream in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The headwaters rise on the eastern hillsides near Twin Peaks and flow southwest, eventually joining with Uvas Creek.

Lions Peak mountain in California, United States of America

Lions Peak is a prominent hill in the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains in southwest Santa Clara County, California. The landmark lies west of San Martin, and is adjacent to the resort village of CordeValle. The headwaters of Lions Creek originate on the eastern flank of the hill, and flow southward before merging with Llagas Creek in Gilroy. The hill and surrounding area is located on approximately 1,400 acres (570 ha) of privately owned lands, and is viewable along U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 152 in South Santa Clara Valley.

Eastman Canyon Creek river in the United States of America

Eastman Canyon Creek is a perennial stream in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The headwaters rise on the eastern flank of Croy Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and flow eastward, eventually emptying into the Uvas Reservoir.

Loma Chiquita, California Populated Place in California, United States

Loma Chiquita is an unincorporated rural area along the ridge leading to Loma Chiquita summit in southwest Santa Clara County, California. The area covers the associated ridgeline and hillsides, from the eastern base of Loma Prieta, towards the west near the intersection with upper Little Uvas Road. The northern part faces the Mountain Home area, and the southern part overlaps with Uvas Canyon.

Mountain Home (Santa Clara County, California) Populated Place in California, United States

Mountain Home is a sparsely populated area located on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains in unincorporated southwest Santa Clara County, California near Mount Chual and Rancho Canada del Oro Open Space Preserves. The Loma Fire burned about one half of the region in 2016.

Little Uvas Creek watercourse in the United States of America

Little Uvas Creek is a perennial stream in southwest Santa Clara County, California, United States. The headwaters rise on the northeastern flank of Loma Chiquita Ridge in the Santa Cruz mountains, and flow eastward, eventually merging with Uvas Creek.

Cañada Garcia Creek

Cañada Garcia Creek is a perennial stream in southwest Santa Clara County, California, United States. The headwaters rise on the southern flank of Portezuelo Gap near Manzanita Ridge in the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. From there, the creek flows southeastward, eventually merging with Llagas Creek.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Llagas Creek". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey.
  2. Santa Clara Valley Water District. "Uvas and Lllagas Creeks Watershed" . Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  3. Santa Clara Valley Water District. "Lower Llagas Creek Restoration Project" . Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  4. City of Morgan Hill. "Wastewater Treatment in South Santa Clara Valley" . Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  5. City of Gilroy. "South County Regional Wastewater Authority" . Retrieved 2017-08-09.