Soquel Creek is a southward flowing 16 miles (26 km) creek that begins in the Santa Cruz Mountains in Santa Cruz County, California and enters Monterey Bay at Capitola Beach in Capitola, California.
| Soquel Creek Rosario del Beato Serafin de Asculi[1] | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Region | Santa Cruz County |
| Cities | Soquel, Capitola |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Southern Santa Cruz Mountains |
| • coordinates | 37°06′37″N 121°54′38″W / 37.11028°N 121.91056°W |
| • elevation | 3,000 ft (910 m)[2] |
| Mouth | Monterey Bay |
• coordinates | 36°58′18″N 121°57′07″W / 36.97167°N 121.95194°W |
• elevation | 0 ft (0 m)[2] |
| Length | 16 mi (26 km)[2] |
| Basin size | 42 sq mi (110 km2)[2] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | USGS Soquel Creek gage (11160000)[2] |
| • minimum | 405 cu ft/s (11.5 m3/s)[3] |
| • maximum | 15,800 cu ft/s (450 m3/s)[3] |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | West Branch Soquel Creek, Burns Creek, Laurel Creek, Hester Creek |
| • right | East Branch Soquel Creek, Fern Gulch, Asbury Gulch, Amaya Creek, Hinckley Creek |
History and ecology
editThe redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forests of the middle and upper watershed were heavily logged during the second half of the 1800s, and into the twentieth century. Most of today's forests are second growth, with most trees now over one hundred years old.
Watershed and course
editSoquel Creek drains the largest watershed of mid-Santa Cruz County, and passes through the communities of Soquel and Capitola. Part of the creek's upper reaches flow through Soquel Demonstration State Forest and the western part of The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. About 25% of the headwaters of the watershed are on land protected by the state.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Soquel Pioneer and Historical Association". Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County (December 2019). Soquel Creek Streamflow Assessment Study (PDF) (Report). Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ a b Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District (January 27, 2004). Soquel Creek Watershed Assessment and Enhancement Project Plan (PDF) (Report). Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ TMDL Report for the San Lorenzo River, Soquel Creek, and Aptos Creek Watersheds (Report). September 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2022.