Cazadero, California
Encyclopedia
Cazadero is an unincorporated
town and census-designated place
(CDP) in western Sonoma County, California
, United States
with a population of 354 as of the 2010 Census. Nearby towns include Jenner
, Annapolis, Stewart's Point, Duncans Mills
, Villa Grande, Rio Nido
, Guerneville
, Monte Rio
, and The Sea Ranch. The downtown of Cazadero is quite modest, consisting of two churches, a general store, a post office, a hardware store, an auto repair garage, the well equipped main station of the Cazadero Volunteer Fire Department and a few homes.
Cazadero is generally regarded as the area from the confluence of Austin Creek
and the Russian River
along California State Route 116
along the Cazadero Highway up to the town. The town is approximately 6 miles from Route 116. Cazadero Highway roughly parallels Austin Creek which is a principal tributary of the lower Russian River. Austin Creek flows southward through the town. Just north of the town, Cazadero Highway is joined by Fort Ross Road which is a winding, narrow road that meanders west before reaching State Route 1 on the Pacific Ocean near an old fort established by the Russian trappers in the 19th century. Located in the Sonoma Coast AVA
, Cazadero can also be considered part of the Wine Country. Flowers Vineyard and Winery is in Cazadero. Cazadero is approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) from the Pacific Ocean, the rugged Sonoma Coast and the mouth of the Russian River.
.
The area is home to a number of camps, including the Cazadero Performing Arts Camp
. There are numerous vacation rentals in the area and ample opportunties for recreation in Cazadero, including fishing, hunting, swimming, boating, camping and particularly rich bird watching opportunities.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP covers an area of 7.1 square miles (18.4 km²), 99.98% of it land and 0.02% of it water.
s, oak
s and bay trees. Tanoak is a common species, although sudden oak death
is putting pressure on it. Rarer plants in the area include the calypso orchid (Calypso bulbosa), which can be found on the floors of redwood forests, fern glens and boggy areas in the area. The orchid occurs throughout the Northern Hemisphere, including Asia, Scandinavia, Northern Europe and North America.
Wildlife in the area is particularly rich. Common birds are Steller's jay
, common raven
, great egret
, great blue heron
, hummingbirds, pileated and acorn woodpeckers. Careful birders will occasionally catch glimpse of a northern flicker as well. Mammals include the mountain lion, coyote
, dear, bobcat, wild boar and fox. Beaver
s have also been reported in the area. Anadromous fish such as Coho salmon
and steelhead are found in local streams but are threatened by overfishing and habitat destruction caused by irresponsible logging practices. Skunk, possum and raccoon are also abundant. The area is also home to numerous frog and toad species owing to the wet landscape and the presence of numerous seasonal vernal pools. Creeks in the area abound with crawfish, newts and rarer freshwater shrimp.
, originally laid as narrow-gauge track in the 1870s.
was 49.7 people per square mile (19.2/km²). The racial makeup of Cazadero was 318 (89.8%) White, 1 (0.3%) African American, 7 (2.0%) Native American, 5 (1.4%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 5 (1.4%) from other races
, and 18 (5.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23 persons (6.5%).
The Census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 164 households, out of which 37 (22.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 71 (43.3%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 12 (7.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 6 (3.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 18 (11.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 5 (3.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 49 households (29.9%) were made up of individuals and 15 (9.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16. There were 89 families
(54.3% of all households); the average family size was 2.75.
The population was spread out with 60 people (16.9%) under the age of 18, 20 people (5.6%) aged 18 to 24, 83 people (23.4%) aged 25 to 44, 142 people (40.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 49 people (13.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.7 years. For every 100 females there were 122.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.8 males.
There were 335 housing units at an average density of 47.1 per square mile (18.2/km²), of which 65.9% were owner-occupied and 34.1% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 9.2%. 67.8% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 32.2% lived in rental housing units.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
town and census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in western Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with a population of 354 as of the 2010 Census. Nearby towns include Jenner
Jenner, California
Jenner is a small coastal town and census-designated place with a population of about 136 in Sonoma County, California, U.S. It is located on the Pacific coast near the mouth of the Russian River. State Route 1 runs through the town and State Route 116 runs nearby, along the Russian River...
, Annapolis, Stewart's Point, Duncans Mills
Duncans Mills, California
Duncans Mills is an unincorporated town located in Sonoma County, California.-Geography:Duncans Mills is located at on the Russian River about from the Pacific Ocean...
, Villa Grande, Rio Nido
Rio Nido, California
Rio Nido, California is a small, unincorporated resort community on the Russian River, east of Guerneville, in Sonoma County. The town's name is meant to mean "river nest" in Spanish...
, Guerneville
Guerneville, California
Guerneville is a town in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California, USA. A popular vacation destination for couples and families as well as corporate retreats and family and friend reunions, Guerneville is well-known for its natural beauty, laid-back attitude, friendly population, good...
, Monte Rio
Monte Rio, California
Monte Rio is a census-designated place in Sonoma County, California along the Russian River near the Pacific Ocean. The town of Guerneville lies east of Monte Rio, and Jenner is slightly north-west. The population was 1,152 at the 2010 census, up from 1,104 at the 2000 census...
, and The Sea Ranch. The downtown of Cazadero is quite modest, consisting of two churches, a general store, a post office, a hardware store, an auto repair garage, the well equipped main station of the Cazadero Volunteer Fire Department and a few homes.
Cazadero is generally regarded as the area from the confluence of Austin Creek
Austin Creek
Austin Creek is a southward-flowing stream in the mountains of western Sonoma County, California which empties into the Russian River about from the Pacific Ocean.-Course:...
and the Russian River
Russian River (California)
The Russian River, a southward-flowing river, drains of Sonoma and Mendocino counties in Northern California. With an annual average discharge of approximately , it is the second largest river flowing through the nine county Greater San Francisco Bay Area with a mainstem 110 miles ...
along California State Route 116
California State Route 116
State Route 116 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California in Sonoma County. The route runs from State Route 1 on the Pacific coast near Jenner to State Route 121 south of Sonoma.-Route description:...
along the Cazadero Highway up to the town. The town is approximately 6 miles from Route 116. Cazadero Highway roughly parallels Austin Creek which is a principal tributary of the lower Russian River. Austin Creek flows southward through the town. Just north of the town, Cazadero Highway is joined by Fort Ross Road which is a winding, narrow road that meanders west before reaching State Route 1 on the Pacific Ocean near an old fort established by the Russian trappers in the 19th century. Located in the Sonoma Coast AVA
Sonoma Coast AVA
The Sonoma Coast AVA is an American Viticultural Area in Sonoma County, California, USA containing more than , mostly along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean. It extends from San Pablo Bay to the border with Mendocino County. The appellation is known for its cool climate and high rainfall...
, Cazadero can also be considered part of the Wine Country. Flowers Vineyard and Winery is in Cazadero. Cazadero is approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) from the Pacific Ocean, the rugged Sonoma Coast and the mouth of the Russian River.
Geography
Many creeks in Cazadero join Austin Creek as it makes its way to the Russian River. The principal tributary in the area is Kidd Creek which finds it source on the south east slopes of Pole Mountain which rises to approximately 2204 feet (671.8 m) just a few miles from the Pacific coastline. Kidd Creek flows west to east before joining Austin Creek about 3 miles south of town. The rapid rise in elevation from the coast to mountains west of Cazadero ensures that the area receives substantial rainfall as Pacific storms come onshore in spring and winter releasing rain from clouds saturated with ocean moisture. Cazadero receives an average of 85 in (215.9 cm) of rain a year, and is reputed to be the second wettest town in California, after GasquetGasquet, California
Gasquet is a census-designated place southwest of the Oregon border in Del Norte County, California, and northeast of Crescent City, with a population of 515. It lies at an elevation of 381 feet . The ZIP Code is 95543. Its area code is 707...
.
The area is home to a number of camps, including the Cazadero Performing Arts Camp
Cazadero Performing Arts Camp
Cazadero Performing Arts Camp is a performing arts camp located in the Sonoma redwoods in Northern California, United States...
. There are numerous vacation rentals in the area and ample opportunties for recreation in Cazadero, including fishing, hunting, swimming, boating, camping and particularly rich bird watching opportunities.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP covers an area of 7.1 square miles (18.4 km²), 99.98% of it land and 0.02% of it water.
Flora and fauna
Cazadero is in a forested area where there is diverse plant life, including redwoodRedwood
-Trees:Conifers* Family Cupressaceae *** Sequoia sempervirens - coast redwood**** Albino redwood*** Sequoiadendron giganteum - giant sequoia*** Metasequoia glyptostroboides - dawn redwood* Family Pinaceae...
s, oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s and bay trees. Tanoak is a common species, although sudden oak death
Sudden oak death
Sudden Oak Death is the common name of a disease caused by the oomycete plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum. The disease kills oak and other species of tree and has had devastating effects on the oak populations in California and Oregon as well as also being present in Europe...
is putting pressure on it. Rarer plants in the area include the calypso orchid (Calypso bulbosa), which can be found on the floors of redwood forests, fern glens and boggy areas in the area. The orchid occurs throughout the Northern Hemisphere, including Asia, Scandinavia, Northern Europe and North America.
Wildlife in the area is particularly rich. Common birds are Steller's jay
Steller's Jay
The Steller's Jay is a jay native to western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the continent, but with a black head and upper body. It is also known as the Long-crested Jay, Mountain Jay, and Pine Jay...
, common raven
Common Raven
The Common Raven , also known as the Northern Raven, is a large, all-black passerine bird. Found across the northern hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids...
, great egret
Great Egret
The Great Egret , also known as the Great White Egret or Common Egret, White Heron, or Great White Heron, is a large, widely-distributed egret. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, in southern Europe it is rather localized...
, great blue heron
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
, hummingbirds, pileated and acorn woodpeckers. Careful birders will occasionally catch glimpse of a northern flicker as well. Mammals include the mountain lion, coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
, dear, bobcat, wild boar and fox. Beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
s have also been reported in the area. Anadromous fish such as Coho salmon
Coho salmon
The Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". It is the state animal of Chiba, Japan.-Description:...
and steelhead are found in local streams but are threatened by overfishing and habitat destruction caused by irresponsible logging practices. Skunk, possum and raccoon are also abundant. The area is also home to numerous frog and toad species owing to the wet landscape and the presence of numerous seasonal vernal pools. Creeks in the area abound with crawfish, newts and rarer freshwater shrimp.
History
Cazadero was the northern terminus of the North Pacific Coast RailroadNorth Pacific Coast Railroad
The North Pacific Coast Railroad was a common carrier narrow gauge steam railroad begun in 1874 and sold in 1902 to new owners who renamed it the North Shore Railroad and which rebuilt the southern section into a standard gauge electric railroad.The NPC operated in the northern California...
, originally laid as narrow-gauge track in the 1870s.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that Cazadero had a population of 354. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 49.7 people per square mile (19.2/km²). The racial makeup of Cazadero was 318 (89.8%) White, 1 (0.3%) African American, 7 (2.0%) Native American, 5 (1.4%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 5 (1.4%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 18 (5.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23 persons (6.5%).
The Census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 164 households, out of which 37 (22.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 71 (43.3%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12 (7.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 6 (3.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 18 (11.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 5 (3.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 49 households (29.9%) were made up of individuals and 15 (9.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16. There were 89 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(54.3% of all households); the average family size was 2.75.
The population was spread out with 60 people (16.9%) under the age of 18, 20 people (5.6%) aged 18 to 24, 83 people (23.4%) aged 25 to 44, 142 people (40.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 49 people (13.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.7 years. For every 100 females there were 122.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.8 males.
There were 335 housing units at an average density of 47.1 per square mile (18.2/km²), of which 65.9% were owner-occupied and 34.1% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 9.2%. 67.8% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 32.2% lived in rental housing units.