Atascadero Creek is an
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
, accessed March 9, 2011 north-flowing
stream
A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream ...
in
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County () is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa, California, Santa Rosa. It is to the n ...
, United States, which empties into
Green Valley Creek
Green Valley Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed March 9, 2011 stream in Sonoma County, California, United States, which springs from the hills above the Bohemian ...
.
Course
Atascadero Creek springs from the north flank of English Hill, just north of Burnside Road, about southwest of
Sebastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
. It descends to the north, flowing under Barnett Valley Road, Watertrough Road, and Bodega Highway. It continues north through
Ragle Ranch Regional Park
Ragle Ranch Regional Park is a regional park in Sebastopol, California, U.S.A. that is maintained by the Sonoma County Regional Parks Department. It covers an area of on the west side of town. The park entrance is at 500 Ragle Road, and the day u ...
in the city of Sebastopol, then crosses Mill Station Road, Occidental Road, Graton Road, and Green Valley Road to enter Green Valley Creek about northwest of
Graton. Atascadero Creek is the central channel of the Atascadero Wetland system, designated by the Army Corps of Engineers. It falls under increased protection with the 2015 “new rule” augmenting the 1972 Federal Clean Water Act. As a tributary to Green Valley Creek, Atascadero Creek and wetlands are part of the greater Russian River watershed.
Habitat and pollution
As of 2000, Atascadero Creek and its major tributaries supported
steelhead trout
Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the common name of the anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout or redband trout (O. m. gairdneri). Steelhead are native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific basin in Northeast Asia and N ...
and
California freshwater shrimp
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
The Atascadero is also historic spawning habitat for threatened steelhead salmon (oncorhynchus mykiss) and endangered coho salmon (oncorhynchus kisutch). Coho salmon are listed among the top ten endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act. In 2001 a captive breeding program was established below Warm Springs Dam to restore their dwindling population.
See also
*
List of watercourses in the San Francisco Bay Area
These watercourses (rivers, creeks, sloughs, etc.) in the San Francisco Bay Area are grouped according to the bodies of water they flow into. Tributaries are listed under the watercourses they feed, sorted by the elevation of the confluence so tha ...
References
External links
1995 stream survey
{{Russian River
Rivers of Sonoma County, California
Rivers of Northern California
Tributaries of the Russian River (California)