318:
29:
435:) before alterations to its watershed and the construction of the Briones Reservoir. Trout have been known to ascend Bear Creek from Briones Reservoir to a point about half of a mile upstream, where a natural sandstone waterfall blocks access to the upper watershed.
352:, as Bear Creek and other local streams do not provide sufficient natural flow (~5% of reservoir volume). It is part of a regional water importation and storage complex to service the water needs of the
356:, a region home to over 2.8 million residents. A large portion of the lower Bear Creek watershed and its tributaries were submerged as a result of this construction.
345:(EBMUD). Briones Regional Park is particularly popular with cyclists and local hikers. There are two staging areas located on Bear Creek within Briones Regional park.
595:
364:
Nearly the entirety of the Bear Creek watershed is undeveloped and within open space or conservation boundaries, making it a rare and sensitive stream in the
171:
105:
438:
Fishing in Bear Creek is strictly prohibited on account of the watershed's protected status under EBMUD management and the
Central Valley Steelhead
33:
A photo of Bear Creek not far from the
Briones Reservoir. Its banks are well-shaded by a variety of oaks, bay trees and alders. (July 31st, 2024)
348:
Bear Creek was dammed in 1964 to create the
Briones Reservoir, which is operated by EBMUD. The reservoir is filled with water imported from the
276:. Named tributaries to Bear Creek include: Rose Creek, Russel Creek and Cascade Creek, named for a small waterfall formed by an outcrop of
342:
369:
326:
522:"Historical Distribution and Current Status of Rainbow Trout in Streams of the San Francisco Estuary, California"
338:
249:
622:
463:
496:
415:
are particularly common and take advantage of the large numbers of lizards and small rodents in the area.
439:
294:
It flows for a short distance more below
Briones Reservoir to its confluence with San Pablo Creek at
542:
443:
257:
365:
337:
Much of the upper watershed is accessible through hiking and biking trails administered by the
322:
307:
273:
90:
432:
8:
404:
295:
156:
349:
288:
269:
400:
392:
385:
373:
284:
277:
407:
and a wide variety of others rely on Bear Creek for water and undisturbed habitat.
330:
253:
381:
317:
311:
616:
428:
186:
173:
120:
107:
377:
521:
408:
141:
570:
28:
424:
506:. Contra Costa County Public Works Department. 2004. pp. 43–50.
412:
353:
396:
531:. Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration. p. 29.
306:
All of Bear Creek's present course is contained within
605:. East Bay Municipal Utilities District. pp. 2–6.
321:
A view looking west down the Bear Creek watershed in
283:
Bear Creek flows generally west to its mouth at the
614:
329:and grassland typical of the Bear Creek valley.
260:killed on the stream by Ramon Briones in 1897.
418:
423:Bear Creek likely supported a population of
333:is visible in the distance. (March 24, 2021)
372:with dominant trees being Coast Live Oak (
248:is an approximately 1 mile long creek in
571:"Briones Regional Park | East Bay Parks"
316:
16:Creek in Contra Costa County, California
615:
384:), with some occurrences of Blue oak (
519:
497:"Contra Costa County Watershed Atlas"
464:"Geographic Names Information System"
256:. Its name comes from a 1,000 pound
565:
563:
515:
513:
491:
489:
487:
485:
483:
547:The Undiscovered Hikes of Lamorinda
343:East Bay Municipal Utility District
13:
14:
634:
593:
560:
510:
480:
268:Bear Creek begins as a number of
252:. It is the largest tributary to
27:
339:East Bay Regional Park District
250:Contra Costa County, California
587:
535:
456:
368:. The watershed is covered in
165: • coordinates
99: • coordinates
1:
596:"EBMUD's Mokelumne Aqueducts"
449:
440:Distinct population segment's
68:Physical characteristics
543:"Bear Creek Loop in Briones"
433:Onchorhynchus mykiss irideus
370:coast mixed evergreen forest
327:coast mixed evergreen forest
301:
7:
152: • location
86: • location
10:
639:
419:Steelhead Trout Population
359:
312:Briones Valley, California
187:37.9229806°N 122.1716333°W
121:37.9300000°N 122.1269444°W
378:Umbellularia Californica)
263:
239:Rose Creek, Cascade Creek
233:
223:
215:
210:
202:
163:
150:
140:
136:
97:
84:
76:
72:
67:
59:
51:
43:
38:
26:
21:
235: • right
192:37.9229806; -122.1716333
126:37.9300000; -122.1269444
444:endangered species list
258:California grizzly bear
225: • left
520:Leidy, Robert (2005).
366:San Francisco Bay Area
334:
468:edits.nationalmap.gov
323:Briones Regional Park
320:
308:Briones Regional Park
274:Briones Regional Park
91:Briones Regional Park
623:Rivers of California
504:www.cccleanwater.org
270:intermittent streams
405:Red-shouldered hawk
376:), California Bay (
296:San Pablo Reservoir
211:Basin features
183: /
157:San Pablo Reservoir
117: /
603:waterboards.ca.gov
401:Cottontail rabbits
350:Mokelumne Aqueduct
335:
289:Orinda, California
442:placement on the
393:Black-tailed deer
386:Quercus douglasii
374:Quercus agrifolia
285:Briones Reservoir
278:Briones Sandstone
243:
242:
630:
607:
606:
600:
591:
585:
584:
582:
581:
567:
558:
557:
555:
554:
539:
533:
532:
526:
517:
508:
507:
501:
493:
478:
477:
475:
474:
460:
380:and Valley Oak (
236:
226:
198:
197:
195:
194:
193:
188:
184:
181:
180:
179:
176:
132:
131:
129:
128:
127:
122:
118:
115:
114:
113:
110:
100:
87:
31:
19:
18:
638:
637:
633:
632:
631:
629:
628:
627:
613:
612:
611:
610:
598:
594:Irias, Xavier.
592:
588:
579:
577:
575:www.ebparks.org
569:
568:
561:
552:
550:
541:
540:
536:
524:
518:
511:
499:
495:
494:
481:
472:
470:
462:
461:
457:
452:
421:
362:
331:Mount Tamalpais
304:
266:
254:San Pablo Creek
234:
224:
191:
189:
185:
182:
177:
174:
172:
170:
169:
166:
153:
125:
123:
119:
116:
111:
108:
106:
104:
103:
98:
85:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
636:
626:
625:
609:
608:
586:
559:
534:
509:
479:
454:
453:
451:
448:
420:
417:
382:Quercus lobata
361:
358:
325:, showing the
303:
300:
265:
262:
241:
240:
237:
231:
230:
227:
221:
220:
217:
213:
212:
208:
207:
204:
200:
199:
178:122°10′17.88″W
167:
164:
161:
160:
154:
151:
148:
147:
144:
138:
137:
134:
133:
112:122°07′37.00″W
101:
95:
94:
88:
82:
81:
78:
74:
73:
70:
69:
65:
64:
61:
57:
56:
53:
49:
48:
45:
41:
40:
36:
35:
32:
24:
23:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
635:
624:
621:
620:
618:
604:
597:
590:
576:
572:
566:
564:
548:
544:
538:
530:
529:www.cemar.org
523:
516:
514:
505:
498:
492:
490:
488:
486:
484:
469:
465:
459:
455:
447:
445:
441:
436:
434:
430:
429:Rainbow trout
426:
416:
414:
410:
406:
402:
398:
394:
391:Animals like
389:
387:
383:
379:
375:
371:
367:
357:
355:
351:
346:
344:
340:
332:
328:
324:
319:
315:
313:
309:
299:
297:
292:
290:
286:
281:
279:
275:
271:
261:
259:
255:
251:
247:
238:
232:
228:
222:
218:
214:
209:
205:
201:
196:
175:37°55′22.73″N
168:
162:
158:
155:
149:
145:
143:
139:
135:
130:
109:37°55′48.00″N
102:
96:
92:
89:
83:
79:
75:
71:
66:
62:
58:
54:
50:
47:United States
46:
42:
37:
30:
25:
20:
602:
589:
578:. Retrieved
574:
551:. Retrieved
549:. 2013-03-21
546:
537:
528:
503:
471:. Retrieved
467:
458:
437:
422:
409:Screech owls
390:
363:
347:
336:
305:
293:
282:
267:
245:
244:
229:Russel Creek
159:, California
93:, California
63:Contra Costa
216:Tributaries
190: /
124: /
580:2024-08-01
553:2024-07-31
473:2024-07-31
450:References
246:Bear Creek
55:California
22:Bear Creek
425:Steelhead
413:Barn owls
302:Geography
617:Category
354:East Bay
341:and the
39:Location
397:Coyotes
360:Ecology
310:, near
272:within
206:~1 mile
44:Country
264:Course
219:
203:Length
146:
80:
77:Source
60:County
599:(PDF)
525:(PDF)
500:(PDF)
287:near
142:Mouth
52:State
411:and
388:).
314:.
427:or
298:.
280:.
619::
601:.
573:.
562:^
545:.
527:.
512:^
502:.
482:^
466:.
446:.
403:,
399:,
395:,
291:.
583:.
556:.
476:.
431:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
