Lower Silver Creek (Coyote Creek tributary) explained

Lower Silver Creek
Name Other:Arroyo de Socayre
Pushpin Map:California
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of mouth
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:United States
Subdivision Type2:State
Subdivision Name2:California
Subdivision Type3:Region
Subdivision Name3:Santa Cruz Counties
Length:4.7miles
Source1:Confluence of Flint Creek and Thompson Creek at Lake Cunningham
Source1 Location:Evergreen Valley in southeast San Jose, California
Source1 Coordinates:37.34°N -121.8097°W[1]
Source1 Elevation:123feet
Mouth:Coyote Creek
Mouth Location:Watson Park in southeast San Jose, California
Mouth Coordinates:37.3564°N -121.8739°W
Mouth Elevation:64feet
Tributaries Left:Thompson Creek
Tributaries Right:Flint Creek, South Babb Creek, North Babb Creek, Miguelita Creek

Lower Silver Creek is a 4.7adj=midNaNadj=mid[1] northwest and westward-flowing stream currently originating just north of Lake Cunningham in Evergreen Valley in southeast San Jose, Santa Clara County, California. It is tributary to Coyote Creek, whose waters flow to south San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

History

Historically, Silver Creek was known as Arroyo de Socayre and ran through the Rancho Socayre.[2] [3] Silver Creek was probably named for its silvery appearance, although the word "silver" may have been used to indicate nearby quicksilver (mercury ore) deposits.[4]

Watershed and course

The creek currently drains an area of over 43sqmi with its source in the Edenvalle Hills of southeast San Jose, California.[5] Upper Silver Creek and Thompson Creek both begin in the Edenvale Hills, and historically sank into the alluvial basin of Evergreen Valley in southeast San Jose. Then they resurfaced and flowed into a large freshwater marsh known historically as Laguna Socayre, and referred to more recently as Silver Creek Marsh.[6] In 1978, Silver Creek Marsh was excavated into a flood water detention pond or reservoir, now known as Lake Cunningham.[5] Thus, Lower Silver Creek used to begin southwest of where Lake Cunningham is today, but now its source is regarded as just north of this artificial lake by the Santa Clara Valley Water District (now Valley Water) at the confluence of Thompson Creek and Flint Creek. In the 1970s, Upper Silver Creek flows were shunted due west into a flood control channel discharging directly to Coyote Creek south of Singleton Road.[7]

After its current source at the confluence of Flint Creek and Thompson Creek, Lower Silver Creek tributaries include South Babb Creek, North Babb Creek, and Miguelita Creek. In the 1970s, the East Zone Flood Project connected many of these tributaries to Lower Silver Creek to provide storm drainage for urban development.[7] Lower Silver Creek ends at its confluence with Coyote Creek at Watson Park, northwest of McKee Road.

Ecology and conservation

In 1962 Lower Silver Creek was reported as an historical migration route and habitat for steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).[8]

Lower Silver Creek photo gallery:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed December 6, 2023
  2. Chaboya v. U.S., Land Case No. 213 ND [Rancho Yerba Buena or Socayre],U.S. District Court, Northern District . Juan Soto . 1853 . UC Berkeley The Bancroft Library . Berkeley, California . 7 .
  3. Coyote Creek Watershed Historical Ecology Study: Historical Condition, Landscape Change, and Restoration Potential in the Eastern Santa Clara Valley, California . Robin Grossinger, Ruth Askevold, Chuck Striplen, Elise Brewster, Sarah Pearce, Kristen Larned, Lester McKee, Josh Collins . 2006 . San Francisco Estuary Institute . Oakland, California . December 6, 2023.
  4. Book: California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names . Erwin Gustav Gudde . 1960 . University of California Press . Berkeley, California . 310 .
  5. The implementation of the Lower Silver Creek watershed project . Christina Keenan and Mariah McPherson . November 12, 2003 . UC Berkeley: Water Resources Collections and Archives . Berkeley, California . December 6, 2023 .
  6. Geomorphology of the Historical Silver Creek Watershed . Janet M. Sowers, Justin T. Pearce . February 28, 2003 . Santa Clara Valley Water District . San Jose, California . December 6, 2023 .
  7. Historical Distribution and Current Status of Steelhead/Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in Streams of the San Francisco Estuary, California . Robert A. Leidy, Gordon S. Becker, Brett N. Harvey . 2005 . Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration (CEMAR) . Oakland, CA . December 5, 2023.
  8. Book: Skinner, John E. . 1962 . An Historical Review of the Fish and Wildlife Resources of the San Francisco Bay Area (The Mammalian Resources) . California Department of Fish and Game, Water Projects Branch Report no. 1. Sacramento, California: California Department of Fish and Game .