Naples Creek
Encyclopedia
Naples Creek is a stream
in San Mateo County, California
, USA that rises on the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains
and discharges to the Pacific Ocean
. The specific point of discharge is onto Naples Beach, a unit of the Half Moon Bay State Beach
. This watercourse runs through the city of Half Moon Bay
, which municipality has planning jurisdiction over the creekside area within its city boundaries. In the Open Space Element of Half Moon Bay's General Plan, Naples Creek is designated to have significant wetland
and riparian zone
biotic
resources.
The city of Half Moon Bay is proposing a trail along Naples Creek to expand on the recreational use of this natural resource. The area near the Mouth of Naples Creek is already in public ownership and is traversed by the coastside public trail along the low-lying blufftop. Further upstream along the banks of Naples Creek, the lower reach banks are in public ownership as within the right-of-way of Guerrero Avenue resources. The city recognizes the entire riparian area as an important open space resource and is considering re-zoning to open space the entire passage of the stream through the Half Moon Bay.
of the Santa Cruz Mountains
at an approximate headwaters elevation of over 400 feet and runs southwest through agricultural land and urban developed areas in the lower reach to the Pacific Ocean
. Regionally, both the surface water and the groundwater
flow with the slope of the terrain, that is, from the northeast to the southwest. Groundwater in the lower reach has been found at 20 to 80 feet below the surface in unconsolidated Quaternary marine terrace
deposits and in unconsolidated Quaternary
alluvium
. There are few groundwater barriers in the vicinity of the mouth of Naples Creek, a circumstance giving rise to local salt water intrusion. Chlorides exceeding 100 parts per million in groundwater were found in the early 1970s along this part of Half Moon Bay State Beach. Near the mouth of Naples Creek the banktop elevation varies between an elevation ranging from 30 to 40 feet above mean sea datum.
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
in San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
, USA that rises on the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
and discharges to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The specific point of discharge is onto Naples Beach, a unit of the Half Moon Bay State Beach
Half Moon Bay State Beach
Half Moon Bay State Beach is a stretch of protected beaches in Half Moon Bay, California. It includes:* Francis Beach,* Venice Beach,* Dunes Beach, and* Roosevelt Beach ....
. This watercourse runs through the city of Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay, California
Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, USA. Its population was 11,324 as of the 2010 census. Immediately at the north of Half Moon Bay is the Pillar Point Harbor and the unincorporated community of Princeton-by-the-Sea....
, which municipality has planning jurisdiction over the creekside area within its city boundaries. In the Open Space Element of Half Moon Bay's General Plan, Naples Creek is designated to have significant wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
and riparian zone
Riparian zone
A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the fifteen terrestrial biomes of the earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by...
biotic
Biota (ecology)
Biota are the total collection of organisms of a geographic region or a time period, from local geographic scales and instantaneous temporal scales all the way up to whole-planet and whole-timescale spatiotemporal scales. The biota of the Earth lives in the biosphere.-See...
resources.
The city of Half Moon Bay is proposing a trail along Naples Creek to expand on the recreational use of this natural resource. The area near the Mouth of Naples Creek is already in public ownership and is traversed by the coastside public trail along the low-lying blufftop. Further upstream along the banks of Naples Creek, the lower reach banks are in public ownership as within the right-of-way of Guerrero Avenue resources. The city recognizes the entire riparian area as an important open space resource and is considering re-zoning to open space the entire passage of the stream through the Half Moon Bay.
Hydrology
Naples Creek rises in the foothillsFoothills
Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills to the adjacent topographically high mountains.-Examples:...
of the Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
at an approximate headwaters elevation of over 400 feet and runs southwest through agricultural land and urban developed areas in the lower reach to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Regionally, both the surface water and the groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
flow with the slope of the terrain, that is, from the northeast to the southwest. Groundwater in the lower reach has been found at 20 to 80 feet below the surface in unconsolidated Quaternary marine terrace
Marine terrace
A marine terrace, coastal terrace, raised beach or perched coastline is a relatively flat, horizontal or gently inclined surface of marine origin, mostly an old abrasion platform which has been lifted out of the sphere of wave activity . Thus it lies above or under the current sea level, depending...
deposits and in unconsolidated Quaternary
Quaternary
The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
alluvium
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
. There are few groundwater barriers in the vicinity of the mouth of Naples Creek, a circumstance giving rise to local salt water intrusion. Chlorides exceeding 100 parts per million in groundwater were found in the early 1970s along this part of Half Moon Bay State Beach. Near the mouth of Naples Creek the banktop elevation varies between an elevation ranging from 30 to 40 feet above mean sea datum.
See also
- Arroyo de en MedioArroyo de en MedioArroyo de en Medio is a coastal stream in western San Mateo County, California. Arroyo de en Medio rises on the western slopes of Montara Mountain and discharges to the Pacific Ocean at Half Moon Bay at the location of the unincorporated community of Miramar at Miramar Beach...
- List of watercourses in the San Francisco Bay Area
- Miramar BeachMiramar Beach, CaliforniaMiramar Beach is a sandy beach in western San Mateo County, California. Miramar Beach is one of the numerous beaches on Half Moon Bay, a Pacific Ocean embayment noted for its surfing and extensive visitation...