Smith Creek (Santa Clara County, California)
Encyclopedia
Smith Creek is the name of two distinct watercourses within Santa Clara County, California
.
The larger of the two is located in the Diablo Range
east of San Jose
. The creek begins near the Bollinger Ridge, about 7.7 km SxSW of Mount Hamilton
. It flows westerly through Horse Valley, then turns northwest, crossing the Mount Hamilton Road
about 12.7 km west of Mount Hamilton (the Smith Creek Ranger Station is located at this crossing). The creek continues northwest along the eastern boundary of Joseph D. Grant County Park
and confluences with Isabel Creek about 15.3 km WNW of Mount Hamilton at 37°23′00"N 121°41′34"W, forming Arroyo Hondo
and eventually draining into Calaveras Reservoir
. Both Smith Creek and Arroyo Hondo were recorded in 1905 by John Otterbein Snyder
as anadromous Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) streams. Some of the early recorded history of the Smith Creek watershed is associated with the pioneer
family of the Winsors.
The smaller of the two Smith Creeks is the headwaters tributary of San Tomas Aquinas Creek, but is largely dry except during the winter months. It begins in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains
within the city of Monte Sereno
, then flows northerly through portions of Los Gatos
and Campbell
until its confluence with San Tomas Aquino Creek.
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
.
The larger of the two is located in the Diablo Range
Diablo Range
The Diablo Range is a mountain range in the California Coast Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Coast Ranges. It is located in the eastern San Francisco Bay area south to the Salinas Valley area of northern California, the United States.-Geography:...
east of San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. The creek begins near the Bollinger Ridge, about 7.7 km SxSW of Mount Hamilton
Mount Hamilton
Mount Hamilton can refer to:* Mount Hamilton * Mount Hamilton * Mount Hamilton * Mount Hamilton * Mount Hamilton, County Tyrone in Northern Ireland...
. It flows westerly through Horse Valley, then turns northwest, crossing the Mount Hamilton Road
California State Route 130
State Route 130 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California in Santa Clara County. The route runs between San Jose, California, and Mount Hamilton. Much of its length goes through the Diablo Range as Mount Hamilton Road where it is a narrow 2 lane highway...
about 12.7 km west of Mount Hamilton (the Smith Creek Ranger Station is located at this crossing). The creek continues northwest along the eastern boundary of Joseph D. Grant County Park
Grant Ranch Park
Grant Ranch Park is the largest park in Santa Clara County, California, USA. Also known as Joseph D. Grant County Park, this site is situated in the eastern foothills of Santa Clara Valley....
and confluences with Isabel Creek about 15.3 km WNW of Mount Hamilton at 37°23′00"N 121°41′34"W, forming Arroyo Hondo
Arroyo Hondo (Santa Clara County, California)
Arroyo Hondo is a river in Santa Clara County, California, United States, that lies east of Milpitas. The area is privately owned by the San Francisco Water Department and is closed to public access because of its usage as drinking water. Bounded to the east by Oak Ridge and to the west by Poverty...
and eventually draining into Calaveras Reservoir
Calaveras Reservoir
Calaveras Reservoir is a lake located primarily in Santa Clara County, California with a small portion and its dam in Alameda County, California. The reservoir has a capacity of . In Spanish, Calaveras means "skulls."...
. Both Smith Creek and Arroyo Hondo were recorded in 1905 by John Otterbein Snyder
John Otterbein Snyder
John Otterbein Snyder was an American zoologist.As a student he met David Starr Jordan who inspired him to enter zoology. He eventually became a zoology instructor at Stanford University and served there from 1899 until 1943. He went on several major collecting expeditions aboard the USS Albatross...
as anadromous Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) streams. Some of the early recorded history of the Smith Creek watershed is associated with the pioneer
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
family of the Winsors.
The smaller of the two Smith Creeks is the headwaters tributary of San Tomas Aquinas Creek, but is largely dry except during the winter months. It begins in the foothills 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,...
within the city of Monte Sereno
Monte Sereno, California
Monte Sereno is a city in Santa Clara County, California, USA. The population was 3,341 at the 2010 census. The city is located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, about 10 miles southwest of San Jose and is immediately northwest of Los Gatos. The city is named for the 2249 ft...
, then flows northerly through portions of Los Gatos
Los Gatos, California
The Town of Los Gatos is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 29,413 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area at the southwest corner of San Jose in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains...
and Campbell
Campbell, California
Campbell is a city in Santa Clara County, California, a suburb of San Jose, and part of Silicon Valley, in the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Campbell's population is 39,349...
until its confluence with San Tomas Aquino Creek.