Arroyo Viejo (“Old Creek” in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
[) is a westward flowing creek that begins in the ]Oakland Hills
Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...
in Alameda County
Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. A ...
, California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, and joins Lion Creek just before entering San Leandro Bay
San Leandro Bay is a body of water in the San Francisco Bay. It is connected to the Oakland Estuary today, but was originally separated by land which formerly connected Alameda with Oakland. It is located along the east of the Oakland Interna ...
, a part of eastern San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay (Chochenyo language, Chochenyo: 'ommu) is a large tidal estuary in the United States, U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the cities of San Francisco, California, San ...
.[
]
Watershed and course
The Arroyo Viejo Creek Watershed drains beginning on the western slope of the Oakland hills and running west through the northern boundary of Knowland Park then urban Oakland before merging with Lion Creek and entering San Leandro Bay
San Leandro Bay is a body of water in the San Francisco Bay. It is connected to the Oakland Estuary today, but was originally separated by land which formerly connected Alameda with Oakland. It is located along the east of the Oakland Interna ...
, and finally, San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay (Chochenyo language, Chochenyo: 'ommu) is a large tidal estuary in the United States, U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the cities of San Francisco, California, San ...
. Rifle Range Creek begins in the Leona Canyon Regional Open Space park, then joins the Arroyo Melrose Highlands Branch, which is also joined by Country Club Creek (which flows along the northern boundary of Sequoyah Country Club). The Arroyo Melrose Highlands Branch joins Arroyo Viejo at the MacArthur Freeway MacArthur or Macarthur may refer to:
Arts and media
* INSS MacArthur, a fictional starship featured in the science fiction novel ''The Mote in God's Eye''
* ''MacArthur'' (1977 film), a movie biography of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur
* ' ...
. Below the freeway, the creek is joined by the 73rd Avenue Branch (which is in an underground pipe), and continues in a series of engineered channels and underground culverts to Lion Creek (also known as Arroyo de Leona)[ and crosses Interstate 880 to San Leandro Bay within the larger San Francisco Bay.
]
Ecology
The upper tributaries of Arroyo Viejo lie in what was historically a belt of coast redwood
''Sequoia sempervirens'' ()''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995: 606–607 is the sole living species of the genus '' Sequoia'' in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly treated in Taxodiaceae). Common names include coast redwood, coast ...
(''Sequoia sempervirens'') extending from the Leona Canyon Regional Open Space Preserve
Leona Canyon Regional Open Space Preserve is a regional park located in Oakland, California that is part of the East Bay Regional Parks system. It is located off Keller Avenue near Oak Knoll Naval Hospital and it extends to Merritt College
...
up to Redwood Regional Park
Dr. Aurelia Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park (formerly known as Redwood Regional Park) is a part of the East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD) in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is located in the hills east of Oakland, California. The park conta ...
and east to Moraga.
See also
*Rivers of California
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of California, grouped by region. Major lakes and reservoirs, if applicable, are indicated in italics.
North Coast (north of Humboldt Bay)
Rivers and streams between the Oregon border and Humboldt Bay t ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Arroyo Viejo at Oakland Museum Watershed Maps
Arroyo Viejo Recreation Center page
Geography of Oakland, California
Rivers of Alameda County, California
Rivers of Northern California