Maacama Creek is a 7.3-mile-long (11.7 km)[4] stream in northern Sonoma County, California, U.S.A., which empties into the Russian River near the city of Healdsburg.

Maacama Creek
Maacama Creek is located in California
Maacama Creek
Location of the mouth of Maacama Creek in California
EtymologyWappo language
Location
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
RegionSonoma County
Physical characteristics
SourceMcDonnell Creek
 • locationPine Mountain, 12 mi (20 km) northeast of Healdsburg, California
 • coordinates38°44′15″N 122°43′40″W / 38.73750°N 122.72778°W / 38.73750; -122.72778[2]
 • elevation3,360 ft (1,020 m)
2nd sourceBriggs Creek
 • locationnorth shoulder of Mount Saint Helena
 • coordinates38°42′23″N 122°39′45″W / 38.70639°N 122.66250°W / 38.70639; -122.66250[3]
 • elevation2,630 ft (800 m)
Source confluenceconfluence
 • location8 mi (10 km) northeast of Healdsburg, California
 • coordinates38°40′28″N 122°44′36″W / 38.67444°N 122.74333°W / 38.67444; -122.74333[1]
 • elevation300 ft (91 m)
MouthRussian River
 • location
4 mi (6 km) east of Healdsburg, California
 • coordinates
38°36′50″N 122°47′1″W / 38.61389°N 122.78361°W / 38.61389; -122.78361[1]
 • elevation
141 ft (43 m)[1]
Length8 mi (13 km)from confluence to mouth
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftRedwood Creek, Franz Creek

Course

edit

Maacama Creek begins at the confluence of McDonnell Creek and Briggs Creek near Peter Hill in the Mayacamas Mountains. From there, it flows south, paralleling Briggs Ranch Road almost to State Route 128, where it turns westward. It parallels the highway for about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) before passing under to meet Redwood Creek. Upon entering the Alexander Valley, it turns southward again and parallels Chalk Hill Road until it meets Franz Creek. It then flows west another 0.71 miles (1.1 km) to enter the Russian River about 4 miles (6 km) east of Healdsburg.

History

edit

Habitat and pollution

edit

As of 2000, Maacama Creek and all its major tributaries all supported steelhead trout. Franz Creek also harbored California freshwater shrimp, and Redwood Creek and Maacama Creek hosted coho salmon.[5]

Bridges

edit

Two bridges span Maacama Creek: The Chalk Hill Road bridge is a 170-foot (52 m) concrete arch built in 1915, and State Route 128 crosses the creek at milepost 17.25 on a 147-foot (45 m) concrete continuous tee beam built in 1931.[6]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Maacama Creek
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: McDonnell Creek
  3. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Briggs Creek
  4. ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, accessed March 9, 2011
  5. ^ Cox, Bill (2000). "Major Streams in Sonoma County" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-12-04.
  6. ^ "National Bridge Inventory Database".