El Polín Spring is a natural spring in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, California located in the

Presidio A presidio (''jail, fortification'') was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire mainly between the 16th and 18th centuries in areas under their control or influence. The term is derived from the Latin word ''praesidium'' meaning ''pr ...

. It is the source of the central tributary of El Polín Creek (also called Tennessee Hollow Creek). The spring was used by the

Ohlone The Ohlone ( ), formerly known as Costanoans (from Spanish meaning 'coast dweller'), are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the Northern California coast. When Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the l ...

people, the Spanish military, and the U.S. Army as a freshwater source. Much of the stream was channelized or placed in underground culverts, and many riparian areas were used for landfill. Beginning in the 2000s, the Presidio Trust has worked to rehabilitate El Polín spring and daylight sections of the creek downstream. In 2005, 77,000 tons of landfill were removed from Thompson Reach, a downstream section, and native riparian species were planted. In 2011, El Polín was restored, with new trails, native plants, and a picnic area installed.

Notes

External links

Presidio of San Francisco - El Polín SpringGolden Gate National Park Conservancy - El Polín Spring
Rivers of San Francisco Rivers of Northern California {{California-river-stub