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35-757: Though it begins as a wild stream in the Mayacamas Mountains , Santa Rosa Creek is culverted for part of its course through the city of Santa Rosa 's downtown. The riparian area has a rich prehistoric past with settlement of the Southern Pomo people on much of the middle and lower reach banks. A significant stream restoration project was created in the downtown Santa Rosa reach in the late 1990s, allowing steelhead and coho salmon to migrate to productive upstream spawning areas. Major tributaries to Santa Rosa Creek include Brush Creek , Piner Creek , Matanzas Creek and Colgan Creek. Annual precipitation in

70-402: A dull brown approaching yellow. The acorns are medium to dark brown and range from 2 to 3 cm ( 3 ⁄ 4 to 1 + 1 ⁄ 4  in) in length. The caps have deep stippling and are found most often as singlets, but occasionally as doublets. The acorns ripen from October to November. Viable acorns germinate in their first winter, and none remain by mid-winter. Valley oak is of

105-412: A general purpose lumber to a primarily niche product. Valley oak wood has a small, but significant market for use in cabinetry though, and is also suitable for hardwood flooring. Tyloses present in the pores of valley oak wood increase its impermeability to fluids allowing it to be used in the production of water-tight vessels. Such vessels include wine barrels where valley oak wood sees limited role in

140-406: A high concentration of California bay laurel . Common animals observed include California mule deer , gray squirrel , raccoon , skunk , Western pond turtle , river otter and opossum . Less frequently tiger salamander , bobcat and mountain lion are seen. There is abundant birdlife including the scrub jay , Steller's jay , acorn woodpecker and junco . As Santa Rosa Creek reaches

175-560: A new low flow channel to accommodate steelhead and coho salmon spawning runs to the middle and upper reaches (i.e. above the downtown area of the city of Santa Rosa). As of July 2008, much of the renovation has been largely completed west of Santa Rosa Avenue, with the Prince Memorial Greenway extending along the creek west from Santa Rosa Avenue through downtown. This includes paved bicycle and pedestrian paths, creek access points, and substantial planting of vegetation. However,

210-421: A park which had originally been closely planted with the true old English oak; the underwood, that had probably attended its early growth, had the appearance of having been cleared away and left the stately lords of the forest in complete possession of the soil which was covered with luxuriant foliage. In the year 1861, William Henry Brewer , the chief botanist for the first California Geological Survey wrote of

245-490: A sturdy trunk possibly exceeding 3 m (10 ft) in diameter. The "Henley Oak", in Covelo, California , is the tallest known valley oak, at 47 m (153 ft). The branches have an irregular, spreading and arching appearance. During autumn, the leaves turn a yellow to light orange color but become brown later in the season. In advancing age, the branches droop. The trees have pewter-colored rippled bark . Typically,

280-594: Is Cobb Mountain , at 4,724 ft (1,440 m) in elevation, located in the central section. There are several other peaks over 2,500 ft (762 m), including Mount Saint Helena and Hood Mountain . These peaks are sufficiently high to retain some snow cover in winter. Several streams rise in the Mayacamas Mountains including Mark West Creek , Sonoma Creek , Calabazas Creek , Arroyo Seco Creek , Putah Creek , and Santa Rosa Creek . Around ten million years ago, during pre-historic times ( Miocene ),

315-411: Is encountered, which has scrubby Valley Oak cover. On the gentle rolling slopes that join the valley are Haire series moderately well drained clay loam soils, which are used for dry-farm pasture and some vineyards . On the valley floor Santa Rosa Creek flows under State Route 12 and runs along Melita Road, thence somewhat more northerly and parallels the south side of Route 12. Over this middle reach

350-738: Is generated when dry steam is pumped from geothermal reservoirs through turbines. [REDACTED] Media related to Mayacamas Mountains at Wikimedia Commons Valley Oak Quercus lobata , commonly called the valley oak or roble , is the largest of the California oaks . It is endemic to the state, growing in interior valleys and foothills from Siskiyou to San Diego counties. Deciduous , it requires year-round groundwater , and may live up to 600 years. Its thick, ridged bark (resembling alligator hide) and deeply lobed leaves are characteristic, and assist in identification. The valley oak may surpass 30 meters (98 feet) in height, with

385-688: Is part of the Northern Inner Coast Ranges , of the California Coast Ranges System. The Mayacamas Mountains are located south of the Mendocino Range , west of Clear Lake , and east of Ukiah in Mendocino and Lake Counties, and extend south into Napa and Sonoma Counties. The range stretches for 52 mi (80 km) in a northwest–southeasterly direction. Mountains in the range include: The range's highest point

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420-683: Is still called Maacama Creek . The spelling Mayacamas is listed as an alternate name by the Board of Geographic Names. Located in the Mayacamas mountain range is The Geysers , the world's largest and most developed geothermal field. It consists of more than 22 power plants scattered across an area of about 30 square miles (78 km2). The Geysers spans the Lake , Sonoma , and Mendocino counties in California, and provides energy to those counties. The electrical energy

455-456: Is the only known food plant of Chionodes petalumensis caterpillars. The acorns are sweet and edible; Native Americans including the Southern Paiute people roasted them and ground the edible portion into meal to make into bread and mush. Difficulties in acquiring valley oak wood as well as issues stemming from its drying such as cracking and warping have shifted its consumption from

490-866: Is widely distributed in: the California Central Valley ; many smaller valleys such as the San Fernando Valley (original Spanish place-name from oak savannah ), Santa Clarita Valley , Conejo Valley , and Santa Ynez Valley ; the Inner Coast Ranges south of the Eel River ; and the Transverse Ranges from the Tehachapi Mountains to the Simi Hills , Santa Susana Mountains . It is also present on Santa Cruz Island and Catalina Island in

525-631: The Pacific Ocean . Some of the most picturesque stands are found in Sonoma Valley , Round Valley in Mendocino County and the southern Salinas Valley near the up-river reaches of the Salinas River . Like many oaks, valley oaks can tolerate wildfires. Although smaller individuals may be top-killed, most resprout from the root crown. A variety of mammals and birds eat the acorns, including

560-550: The acorn woodpecker , California scrub jay , yellow-billed magpie , and California ground squirrel . The acorns are also attacked by bruchid beetles, but can survive moderate levels of infestation. Globular galls up to several centimeters in diameter are frequently attached to twigs of mature specimens of valley oak. These house the larval stage of small indigenous wasps Andricus quercuscalifornicus . A related wasp species, A. kingi , produces small galls shaped like Hershey's kisses on leaf surfaces. The valley oak

595-418: The ecosystem of the headwaters is relatively dense mixed oak woodland , which has a canopy of coast live oak , Douglas fir , California buckeye ( Aesculus californica ) and bigleaf maple . In these oak woodlands, the dominant understory plants are toyon , blackberry , western poison-oak and in occasional drier patches some coyote brush . In some of the steeper, cooler riparian zones there are

630-417: The white oak evolutionary lineage, which is officially known as the subgenus Lepidobalanus . This subgenus comprises numerous oaks from California and elsewhere, which species share similar leaves, acorns, bark and wood pulp . Early settlers used a variety of common names for the valley oak including: white oak, bottom oak, swamp oak, water oak and mush oak. The Spaniards , because the tree looked like

665-510: The Hood Mountain headwaters consist of the Boomer soil association, which group has well-drained loams over a clay-loam subsoil. Considering the steepness of much of the terrain there is a remarkable lack of erosion, primarily because human access has been historically low, and vegetative cover has been kept intact. As Santa Rosa Creek descends toward the valley floor Falta very gravelly loam

700-722: The Rancho Mallacomes y Plano de Agua Caliente or Moristul land grant , dated September 3, 1841, and October 11 and 14, 1843. The present spelling is used in the Statutes of 1850 (pp. 60 f.). Although this version was also used by the Whitney Survey, confusion persists to the present day. The Geographic Board (Fifth Report) decided for Miyakma, but in 1941 it reversed this decision in favor of Mayacmas ('not Miyakma, Cobb Mountain Range, Malacomas, Mayacamas, nor St. Helena Range'). The stream

735-581: The Sonoma Creek watershed is about 24 to 38 inches (60 to 70 centimeters). Water quality sampling in the Railroad Square area of Santa Rosa indicate coliform bacteria standards are often exceeded. Archaeological data demonstrates the habitation of Pomo tribes on the lower reaches of Santa Rosa Creek, while a branch of the Yuki tribe lived near the headwaters on the slopes of Hood Mountain . In

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770-415: The city of Santa Rosa developed more intensively, political pressure arose in the 1960s to channelize much of the creek in the core area of the city. This action led to a greatly reduced capability for anadromous fish to reach spawning areas upstream. Consequently, by the 1990s, planning began for a creek restoration project to tear out much of the channel concrete lining, provide re-vegetation and create

805-514: The composition of and where it has similar properties to other white oaks such as a reduced tannin load compared to the red oaks and an open grain that allows for an increased transfer of oxygen. In 1792, the English explorer George Vancouver noted on his expedition through the Santa Clara Valley , after seeing an expanse of valley oaks: For about twenty miles it could only be compared to

840-474: The confluence of Brush Creek is particularly notable for the large boulder formation, known as "Flat Rocks". Below Farmers Lane the creek becomes channelized and much of the natural character is lost, until the creek begins to exit the west side of the city of Santa Rosa. Mayacamas Mountains The Mayacamas Mountains are located in northwestern California in the United States . The mountain range

875-479: The feast day of Saint Rose of Lima ; he named the woman "Rosa" and the location "Santa Rosa," establishing there a mission outpost (una asistencia). The "asistencia de Santa Rosa" became the center of the colonial settlement that would eventually become the town of Santa Rosa. In the city of Santa Rosa, remains of the Carrillo Adobe attest to Spaniards as settlers in the middle reaches of Santa Rosa Creek. As

910-401: The leaves are 5–10 centimeters (2–4 inches) long and are roundly and deeply lobed. The leaf width is approximately one half its length. Each leaf is matte green with an underneath pale green appearance; moreover, the leaf is covered with abundant soft fuzz, yielding an almost velvety feeling. When a fresh leaf is rubbed or broken, an aromatic scent is exuded, evoking a forest odor . The wood is

945-463: The mountains are thought to have been densely forested in Mendocino Cypress ( Cupressus pygmaea ). The Mayacamas Mountains currently support California mixed evergreen forest and California interior chaparral and woodlands habitats . According to Gudde: Mayacamas Mountains [Sonoma, Lake Cos.] The mountain chain, forming the divide of the headwaters of Russian River and Clear Lake ,

980-530: The portion between Santa Rosa Avenue and E Street is still contained within a covered culvert despite long-term plans to reopen the portion of it currently under city hall. The headwaters of Santa Rosa Creek rise on the northern slopes of Hood Mountain, where the soils at the headwaters consist of soils of the Goulding cobbly clay loam association, which are well-drained gently to very steep loams and clay -loams situated upon upland formations. The lower elevations of

1015-436: The soils are typical of alluvial fans, consisting of Yolo silt loams and clay loams of less than two percent slope. Historically this soil has served pasture uses with some orchards. Currently most of this area is developed with medium density residential uses. Below the downtown confluence with Matanzas Creek , which drains the northern slopes of Sonoma Mountain , can be considered the lower reach of this watershed. Most of

1050-428: The soils extending some distance from Santa Rosa Creek are Yolo sandy loam overwash. This zone is especially subject to flooding , and historically has served as pasture, orchard and vineyard. Erosion potential is slight due to the less than five percent slope of this reach. The upper reaches and headwaters of Santa Rosa Creek are on Hood Mountain on the western slopes of the southern Mayacamas Mountains . Much of

1085-447: The valley floor near Melita Road, the creek is choked with red willow , and also has coast live oak , bigleaf maple , California laurel as well as a few Douglas fir and huckleberry oak , Quercus vacciniifolia . This middle reach of the creek has more of a suburban character compared to the wild headwaters area. The middle reach continues as a richly vegetated riparian zone from Melita Road westerly to Farmers Lane. The reach at

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1120-462: The valley oaks that he saw in Monterey County : First I passed through a wild canyon, then over hills covered with oats, with here and there trees—oaks and pines. Some of these oaks were noble ones indeed. How I wish one stood in our yard at home....I measured one [valley oak] with wide spreading and cragged branches, that was 26.5 feet in circumference. Another had a diameter of over six feet, and

1155-411: The vicinity of the confluence of Brush Creek there is a noteworthy rock formation known as "Flat Rocks"; adjacent was a native Pomo village, presumably because the resources of the confluence area as a suitable place for fishing , bathing, washing and providing drinking water . Near this location in the year 1828, Padre Juan Amorós, a Franciscan from Mission San Raphael, baptized a Pomo maiden on

1190-618: The white oaks in Europe, called the tree "roble". The Concow tribe call the acorns lō-ē’ ( Konkow language ). Valley oak tolerates cool wet winters and hot dry summers, but requires abundant water. It is most abundant in rich deep soils of valley floors below 600 meters (2000 feet) in elevation. Valley oak is found in dense riparian forests, open foothill woodlands and valley savannas . Commonly associated trees are coast live oak , interior live oak , blue oak , California black walnut , California sycamore and gray pine . The valley oak

1225-513: Was named for the Native American tribe on the west slope, probably a division of the Yuki tribe . According to Barrett (Pomo, p. 269), there was a Yukian Wappo village , Maiya'kma, one mile south of present day Calistoga . Serro de los Mallacomes ( Mount Saint Helena ) is shown on a diseño of the Rancho Caymus grant (1836). Later the name appears in the title and on the diseños of

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