Maacama Creek is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
, accessed March 9, 2011 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 northern
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 ...
,
U.S.A.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, which empties into the
Russian River near the city of
Healdsburg
Healdsburg is a city located in Sonoma County, in California's Wine Country. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,254. Owing to its three most important wine-producing regions (the Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valley ...
.
Course
Maacama Creek begins at the confluence of McDonnell Creek and Briggs Creek near Peter Hill in the
Mayacamas Mountains
The Mayacamas Mountains are located in northwestern California in the United States. The mountain range is part of the Northern Inner Coast Ranges, of the California Coast Ranges System.
Geography
The Mayacamas Mountains are located south of the ...
. From there, it flows south, paralleling Briggs Ranch Road almost to
State Route 128, where it turns westward. It parallels the highway for about before passing under to meet Redwood Creek. Upon entering the
Alexander Valley
The Alexander Valley (Wappo: Unutsawaholmanoma, "Toyon Bush Berry Place") is a Californian American Viticultural Area (AVA) just north of Healdsburg in Sonoma County. It is home to many wineries and vineyards, as well as the city of Cloverdale. ...
, it turns southward again and parallels Chalk Hill Road until it meets Franz Creek. It then flows west another to enter the Russian River about east of Healdsburg.
History
Habitat and pollution
As of 2000, Maacama Creek and all its major tributaries all 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 ...
. Franz Creek also harbored
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 ...
, and Redwood Creek and Maacama Creek hosted
coho salmon
The coho salmon (''Oncorhynchus kisutch;'' Karuk: achvuun) is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family and one of the five Pacific salmon species. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". The scientific species name i ...
.
Bridges
Two bridges span Maacama Creek: The Chalk Hill Road bridge is a concrete arch built in 1915, and
State Route 128 crosses the creek at milepost 17.25 on a concrete continuous
tee beam
A T-beam (or tee beam), used in construction, is a load-bearing structure of reinforced concrete, wood or metal, with a -shaped cross section. The top of the -shaped cross section serves as a flange or compression member in resisting compressiv ...
built in 1931.
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
{{Russian River
Rivers of Sonoma County, California
Healdsburg, California
Rivers of Northern California
Tributaries of the Russian River (California)