Geomorphic, vegetation and flooding characteristics for lower San Pablo Creek : a baseline study

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Geomorphic, vegetation and flooding characteristics for lower San Pablo Creek : a baseline study
Shannah Anderson, University of California, Berkeley
Carolina Balazs, University of California, Berkeley

Download the Paper (201 K, PDF file) - December 9, 2004
Related Files:
Fig 1 and 2 copy.pdf (20326 kB)
Figure 1: Location of Watershed ; Figure 2: Study Area - Lower San Pablo Creek
Figure 3.pdf (11108 kB)
Figure 3: Geomorphic/Hydrologic Zones of the Lower San Pablo Creek Watershed
Figure 4 and 5.pdf (142649 kB)
Figure 4: Upper Alluvial Valley Cross Section ; Figure 5: Lower Alluvial Valley Cross Section
Figures 6-8.pdf (159367 kB)
Figure 6: Upper Alluvial Fan Cross-Section ; Figure 7: Wildcat-San Pablo Creeks Alluvial Fan Cross Section ; Figure 8: Tidal Flat Cross Section
Table 1_2 Appx E-S_Y-CC.xls (59 kB)
Tables 1-2 ; Appendices E-S and Y-CC
TablesA_B_C_D_E.xls (50 kB)
Tables A-E
Veg Tables F-I APPDX.xls (46 kB)
Tables F-I

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ABSTRACT:

San Pablo Creek drains 42 square miles, debouching into the San Pablo Bay in Richmond, California. In 1919, East Bay Municipal Utility District built a dam in the mid-watershed. The Dam rarely releases water, so the reach downstream (lower San Pablo Creek) has a distinct hydrology driven by runoff from the unregulated, lower, 11.2 square-mile drainage area. Perhaps because flooding is infrequent, and because land-use policies and management have not historically considered low-order channels and their riparian habitat, regulating agencies have spent little time collecting baseline information on the creek. This study seeks to gather such baseline information. The specific questions this study addresses are: 1) What are the key ecological and geomorphic transition zones along the Lower San Pablo Creek? 2) What are the geomorphic, hydrologic, and vegetation characteristics in each of these zones? and 3) What are the discharge estimates for cross-sections in each of these zones?

The results of our study indicate that there are five distinct zones along lower San Pablo Creek: the Upper Alluvial Valley, the Lower Alluvial Valley, the Upper Alluvial Fan, the Wildcat-San Pablo Creeks Alluvial Fan, and the Tidal Flats zones. Results from discharge estimates indicate a wide variance of discharge rates between Rantz, Haltiner, and Wannanen-Crippen methods. A high dominance of non-native vegetation and significant incision in the upper cross-sections indicates potential for future restoration efforts.

SUGGESTED CITATION:
Shannah Anderson and Carolina Balazs, "Geomorphic, vegetation and flooding characteristics for lower San Pablo Creek : a baseline study" (December 9, 2004). Water Resources Center Archives. Restoration of Rivers and Streams. Paper anderson.
http://repositories.cdlib.org/wrca/restoration/anderson

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