a geomorphic assessmentofthe redwood creek watershed（地貌assessmentofthe红杉溪流域）（28页）.docVIP

A Geomorphic Assessment of the Redwood Creek Watershed By: Skye Corbett Steve Gensler Erika Montana Geography 642 Introduction Just north of San Francisco, located in the Pacific Coast Range, lays the Redwood Creek Watershed in Marin County (figures 1 2). Redwood Creek begins between the middle peak and the west peak of Mount Tamalpais. For our project we volunteered for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) to help in a geomorphic assessment of the condition of the Redwood Creek watershed. Cross-sectional data was taken at multiple benchmarks in two reaches of the watershed; the Reference Reach and Highway 1 Bridge reach. The concept was to measure the active channel and bankfull channel at various cross-sections along the reaches to determine the stability of the stream. In order to determine whether the stream is evolving in a manner which is conducive for a healthy watershed we compared the width, depth and area of the channel, using a regional hydraulic curve. History Historically, Redwood Creek encountered impressive salmon runs. Today only stories of local settlers grabbing Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) by the handfuls from the creek remain. The past seventy years have rendered actions on/in the creek against the habitat which salmonids need. Many land use practices have aided in the degradation of their habitats. The twentieth century brought settlers to the Muir Beach community, located along the creek and at the outflow of the creek. Additionally agricultural development by ranchers, recreational use, and the National Park Service were established, each a different stakeholder in the Redwood Creek watershed. At a mere 22.69 square kilometers, the Redwood Creek watershed is heavily impacted in part by the petit layout, and part due to impractical land use. Agricultural development brought the most damage to the watershed. Rills and gullies remnant of over-grazing have resul