Los Alamitos Creek
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Los Alamitos Creek or Alamitos Creek is a creek in San Jose, California, USA. It is located in Almaden Valley and begins at Almaden Lake. It is managed by the Santa Clara Valley Water District. The creek flows in a generally northwesterly direction as it ambles along the northeast side of the Almaden Valley. Its environment has some relatively undisturbed areas and considerable lengths of suburban residential character.
The Los Alamitos Creek Trail or Alamitos Creek Trail is a paved four mile long trail by the creek that crosses Almaden Expressway and Camden Avenue.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Alamitos Creek banks were inhabited by Native American tribes thousands of years ago and up until the time of Spanish exploration. Evidence of middens and traces of that hunter-gatherer civilisation has been recorded from archeological excavations and surface finds. In the 1940s and 1950s, rapid residential development expanded into this portion of the Almaden Valley including building which encroached into the 100-year floodplain. The Santa Clara Valley Water District began studying this watershed with emphasis upon flood control functions, and made some minor streambed alterations such as energy dissipators. In 1976 the District developed a comprehensive flood control plan and retained Earth Metrics Inc. to prepare an independent Environmental Impact Report.[1] The resulting study developed the first comprehensive data base of biology, water quality, geology and cultural resources information for Alamitos Creek. In 1989 the city of San Jose undertook an analysis to create a creekside trail from Almaden Quicksilver County Park to a location along Alamitos Creek about .6 mile below the confluence with Calero Creek.[2]
[edit] Ecology
In the downstream rocky streambed reaches of the creek there are a variety of birds commonly observed including mallard, Black Phoebe, Common Merganser, Red-shouldered Hawk, Snowy Egret, Belted Kingfisher, Great Blue Heron and Black-crowned Night-Heron.[3] There are a few mammals on the lower reaches such as raccoon. Vegetation includes upland tree species such as coast live oak and California bay laurel; understory growth such as coyote brush, toyon and poison oak; and riparian vegatation such as red willow and wild blackberry.
In the extreme downstream reaches Rufous-crowned Sparrow, California Thrasher and American Kestrel can be observed on chaparral slopes. In the oak woodlands along the creek, Acorn Woodpecker, California Quail, Anna's Hummingbird, Scrub Jay, Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, Bewick's Wren, and Spotted Towhee can be found.
[edit] References
- ^ Environmental Impact Report for the Alamitos and Calero Creek flood Control Plan, Earth Metrics Inc., California State Clearinghouse (1976)
- ^ Feasibility study for providing a trail between Almaden Quicksilver Park and the Almaden Park via the Alamitos Creek, San Jose Parks and Recreation Dept., March, 1989
- ^ Along the Alamitos Creek Trail: Birds occurring
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
 |
This California location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it and citing the source of your information. |
