HR: 1340h
AN: ED43A-0262 [Abstracts]
TI: Hydraulic Characteristics of the San Gregorio Creek Drainage Basin, California: a Preliminary
Study.
AU: * Davis, J R
EM: jend@moorekb.com
AF: San Francisco State University, Department of Geosciences, 1600 Holloway Avenue
Thornton Hall 509, San Francisco, ca 94132
United States
AU: Snow, M K
EM: sfrocks@sfsu.edu
AF: San Francisco State University, Department of Geosciences, 1600 Holloway Avenue
Thornton Hall 509, San Francisco, ca 94132
United States
AU: Pestrong, R
EM: rayp@sfsu.edu
AF: San Francisco State University, Department of Geosciences, 1600 Holloway Avenue
Thornton Hall 509, San Francisco, ca 94132
United States
AU: Sklar, L S
EM: leonard@sfsu.edu
AF: San Francisco State University, Department of Geosciences, 1600 Holloway Avenue
Thornton Hall 509, San Francisco, ca 94132
United States
AU: Vavro, M
EM: sfrocks@sfsu.edu
AF: Phillip and Sala Burton High School, 400 Mansell Street, San Francisco, Ca 94134
United States
AU: Sawachi, A
EM: sfrocks@sfsu.edu
AF: Balboa High School, 1000 Cayuga Avenue, San Francisco, Ca 94112
United States
AU: Talapian, E
EM: sfrocks@sfsu.edu
AF: Phillip and Sala Burton High School, 400 Mansell Street, San Francisco, Ca 94134
United States
AU: Bailey, E
EM: sfrocks@sfsu.edu
AF: Phillip and Sala Burton High School, 400 Mansell Street, San Francisco, Ca 94134
United States
AB:
Population pressures within the greater San Francisco Bay Area are forcing development into nearby rural communities, and are
impacting local environments. This study of the San Gregorio Creek Watershed is designed as a baseline for evaluating the
effect increasing development within the drainage basin has on its river system. We hope to provide evidence for that impact
through laboratory and field studies that provide a snap-shot of this drainage basin's current characteristics.
The San Gregorio Creek watershed, in the Coast Ranges, is located in the southwestern portion of San Mateo County,
California. It drains the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains, in the Coast Ranges into the Pacific Ocean at the town
of San Gregorio. Most of its fingertip tributaries flow into the trunk from the north and west, with elevations as high as
2050 feet. The watershed includes an area of approximately 51.6 square miles and San Gregorio Creek, the trunk stream, is
roughly 12 miles long. San Gregorio Creek is a fourth order perennial stream. It is fed by a number of major tributaries,
the largest of which are Alpine, Mindego, and La Honda creeks. The U.S. Geological Survey maintains a stream gauging station
for San Gregorio Creek at the town of San Gregorio, where it has been monitoring stream flows for more than 30 years through
its Water Resources Department. The resulting data indicate a mean discharge of 36.4 cfs.
Map studies of hydraulic geometry for the drainage basin reveal geometric characteristics for San Gregorio Creek that
coincide with similar streams in comparable climatic and environmental settings. Stream table studies are used to further
investigate fundamental stream processes. Field studies at selected reaches throughout the drainage basin will document
hydraulic characteristics. The results of this study will contribute to more comprehensive studies demonstrateing channel
response to changing environmental conditions.
DE: 1803 Anthropogenic effects
DE: 1824 Geomorphology (1625)
DE: 1860 Runoff and streamflow
DE: 0805 Elementary and secondary education
DE: 0850 Geoscience education research
SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting