San Leandro Creek and Its Watershed

Born of a volcano, San Leandro Creek has its headwaters at the base of Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. It gathers water funneled through steep canyons and ancient remnants of redwood forests. Until the late 19th century, the creek continued its seasonal flow to the lowlands, becoming lost among the meandering sloughs and channels of the tidal and freshwater wetlands.

Today, although the creek travels a similar path, the surroundings and stopovers are much different. The creek first encounters dams, like the one at Lake Chabot, which provide emergency drinking water to the East Bay. The creek then pauses in riffling pools in the heart of the city of San Leandro and then passes on through concrete channels to meet the Estuary at Arrowhead Marsh in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline.

San Leandro is one of the last remaining creeks to flow above ground its entire length.

Sharol Nelson-Embry
East Bay Regional Park District

  "Walk Along the Water"
  © Oakland Museum of California, used with permission.

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San Leandro Creek watershed map - Oakland Museum of California

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