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Chollas Creek
Chollas Creek, also referred to as Las Chollas Creek, is an urban creek in San Diego County, California, United States, that is 30 miles (48 km) long. The Chollas Creek's four branches begin in the cities of Lemon Grove and La Mesa and empties into San Diego Bay at Barrio Logan. Bifurcating into two main forks, the creek may also be dry during the Southern California dry season. Multiple plant, animal, and aquatic wildlife species live in or around the creek, including the rare plants Juncus acutus leopoldii and Iva hayesiana, and the threatened Coastal California gnatcatcher.
The creek has existed prior to 1500 BC and was used by the Kumeyaay tribe, who had a village by the creek. By 1841, the Kumeyaay village was no longer present. The creek has flooded numerous times, displacing nearby residents. Portions of the creek have been armored or channelized. A dam was constructed on a tributary in the early 20th century, forming Chollas Reservoir. This reservoir led the United States Navy to construct the Chollas Heights Navy Radio Station to the north.
The Chollas Creek valley has been described as "one of San Diego's most neglected watersheds." For decades, the creek has been impacted by pollution, illegal littering, and destruction of natural habitats. The pollution levels are high enough that it is considered an "impaired" water body by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Plans to renovate the creek into a regional park began in 2002 and were completed in 2021 by the City of San Diego.
The Chollas Creek watershed extends from the cities of La Mesa and Lemon Grove, through much of San Diego (south of Interstate 8), and by an unincorporated area within San Diego County. It also runs through City Heights, Encanto, Barrio Logan, and eastern and southeastern San Diego. The highest elevation of the creek is within La Mesa at about 800 feet (240 m). The creek currently empties into San Diego Bay within Naval Station San Diego. The current mouth of Chollas Creek, is about 2,000 feet (0.61 km) west of the previous natural shoreline. Soils within the watershed are primarily of the Holocene-age, which overlay the older San Diego Formation, which was formed during the Pliocene-age. The La Nacion Fault System runs through the creek's watershed.
The watershed of Chollas Creek is 16,270 acres (65.8 km2) in area, split into two main forks. The cumulative length of those two forks is 30 miles (48 km) linearly. The south fork watershed covers an area of 6,997 acres (28.32 km2), and the north fork watershed covers an area of 9,276 acres (37.54 km2). When rain does not fall within the creek's watershed the creek is usually dry minus urban runoff. Due to significant urbanization of the watershed, most of the existing soils within it are not very permeable. This leads to increased volume and velocity of water during storms, which in turn has resulted in erosion of land impacting habitat and existing infrastructure. The maximum discharge predicted from the creek when it goes under Main Street, near Naval Station San Diego, is 21,000 cubic feet (590 m3) per second. Only a small portion of the watershed are tidelands, and fall under the jurisdiction of the Port of San Diego or the United States Navy. From May to September, Southern California's dry season, the creek may be dry or have very little flow. The mile of the creek closest to San Diego Bay is tidally influenced. The waters of Chollas Creek are polluted by multiple types of pollutants including copper, lead, and zinc.
In the late 19th century, thickets of cactus as tall as nearly six feet high were noted in the valley created by the creek. Other species of plants observed growing abundantly included Arctostaphylos, Ceanothus, Eriodictyon californicum, Vitis girdiana, and Diplacus aurantiacus. By the late 20th century, species of plants found along the creek were Eriogonum fasciculatum, Salvia apiana, Quercus dumosa, Malosma, and Diplacus aurantiacus. In 2015, a study of the south fork of the creek, before it merged with the north fork, found two plant species with California Rare Plant Ranks: Juncus acutus leopoldii, and Iva hayesiana.
Wildlife that live around the creek can include coyotes, skunks, possums, and red-shouldered hawks. Other wildlife which might be found around the creek include desert cottontail, gray foxes, and big brown bats. Birds commonly found along Chollas Creek include the California gnatcatcher, red-tailed hawk, Bell's vireo, and cactus wren. Of these species, the Coastal California gnatcatcher is a threatened species. A study at the mouth of Chollas Creek in 2015 found four species of bivalves and one species of gastropod. The most numerous bivalve was a species of chione.
Chollas Creek's existence is estimated to date back to at least 1500 BC, with a wetland environment dominating the mouth of the creek by 0 AD at the latest. At one point in its history, Chollas Creek had a confluence with the Sweetwater River, where these waters drained into the ocean through Silver Strand. By 1000 AD at the latest, a sandy beach was formed at the northwest mouth of the creek.
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Chollas Creek
Chollas Creek, also referred to as Las Chollas Creek, is an urban creek in San Diego County, California, United States, that is 30 miles (48 km) long. The Chollas Creek's four branches begin in the cities of Lemon Grove and La Mesa and empties into San Diego Bay at Barrio Logan. Bifurcating into two main forks, the creek may also be dry during the Southern California dry season. Multiple plant, animal, and aquatic wildlife species live in or around the creek, including the rare plants Juncus acutus leopoldii and Iva hayesiana, and the threatened Coastal California gnatcatcher.
The creek has existed prior to 1500 BC and was used by the Kumeyaay tribe, who had a village by the creek. By 1841, the Kumeyaay village was no longer present. The creek has flooded numerous times, displacing nearby residents. Portions of the creek have been armored or channelized. A dam was constructed on a tributary in the early 20th century, forming Chollas Reservoir. This reservoir led the United States Navy to construct the Chollas Heights Navy Radio Station to the north.
The Chollas Creek valley has been described as "one of San Diego's most neglected watersheds." For decades, the creek has been impacted by pollution, illegal littering, and destruction of natural habitats. The pollution levels are high enough that it is considered an "impaired" water body by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Plans to renovate the creek into a regional park began in 2002 and were completed in 2021 by the City of San Diego.
The Chollas Creek watershed extends from the cities of La Mesa and Lemon Grove, through much of San Diego (south of Interstate 8), and by an unincorporated area within San Diego County. It also runs through City Heights, Encanto, Barrio Logan, and eastern and southeastern San Diego. The highest elevation of the creek is within La Mesa at about 800 feet (240 m). The creek currently empties into San Diego Bay within Naval Station San Diego. The current mouth of Chollas Creek, is about 2,000 feet (0.61 km) west of the previous natural shoreline. Soils within the watershed are primarily of the Holocene-age, which overlay the older San Diego Formation, which was formed during the Pliocene-age. The La Nacion Fault System runs through the creek's watershed.
The watershed of Chollas Creek is 16,270 acres (65.8 km2) in area, split into two main forks. The cumulative length of those two forks is 30 miles (48 km) linearly. The south fork watershed covers an area of 6,997 acres (28.32 km2), and the north fork watershed covers an area of 9,276 acres (37.54 km2). When rain does not fall within the creek's watershed the creek is usually dry minus urban runoff. Due to significant urbanization of the watershed, most of the existing soils within it are not very permeable. This leads to increased volume and velocity of water during storms, which in turn has resulted in erosion of land impacting habitat and existing infrastructure. The maximum discharge predicted from the creek when it goes under Main Street, near Naval Station San Diego, is 21,000 cubic feet (590 m3) per second. Only a small portion of the watershed are tidelands, and fall under the jurisdiction of the Port of San Diego or the United States Navy. From May to September, Southern California's dry season, the creek may be dry or have very little flow. The mile of the creek closest to San Diego Bay is tidally influenced. The waters of Chollas Creek are polluted by multiple types of pollutants including copper, lead, and zinc.
In the late 19th century, thickets of cactus as tall as nearly six feet high were noted in the valley created by the creek. Other species of plants observed growing abundantly included Arctostaphylos, Ceanothus, Eriodictyon californicum, Vitis girdiana, and Diplacus aurantiacus. By the late 20th century, species of plants found along the creek were Eriogonum fasciculatum, Salvia apiana, Quercus dumosa, Malosma, and Diplacus aurantiacus. In 2015, a study of the south fork of the creek, before it merged with the north fork, found two plant species with California Rare Plant Ranks: Juncus acutus leopoldii, and Iva hayesiana.
Wildlife that live around the creek can include coyotes, skunks, possums, and red-shouldered hawks. Other wildlife which might be found around the creek include desert cottontail, gray foxes, and big brown bats. Birds commonly found along Chollas Creek include the California gnatcatcher, red-tailed hawk, Bell's vireo, and cactus wren. Of these species, the Coastal California gnatcatcher is a threatened species. A study at the mouth of Chollas Creek in 2015 found four species of bivalves and one species of gastropod. The most numerous bivalve was a species of chione.
Chollas Creek's existence is estimated to date back to at least 1500 BC, with a wetland environment dominating the mouth of the creek by 0 AD at the latest. At one point in its history, Chollas Creek had a confluence with the Sweetwater River, where these waters drained into the ocean through Silver Strand. By 1000 AD at the latest, a sandy beach was formed at the northwest mouth of the creek.