Wildcat Creek (California)
| Wildcat Creek | |
| Arroyo Seco, Arroyo Chiquito | |
| stream | |
 Wildcat Creek in 2011
|
|
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | California |
| Region | Contra Costa County |
| Tributaries | |
| - right | Laurel Creek, Havey Creek |
| Cities | San Pablo, Richmond |
| Source | Vollmer Peak, Berkeley Hills |
| - location | Tilden Regional Park |
| - elevation | 1,515 ft (462 m) |
| - coordinates | 37°52′55″N 122°13′34″W / 37.88194°N 122.22611°W |
| Mouth | Castro Creek |
| - location | Richmond, California |
| - elevation | 16 ft (5 m) |
| - coordinates | 37°57′12″N 122°23′19″W / 37.95333°N 122.38861°WCoordinates: 37°57′12″N 122°23′19″W / 37.95333°N 122.38861°W |
| Length | 12.5 mi (20 km) |
Wildcat Creek is a 13.4-mile-long (21.6 km) creek which flows through Wildcat Canyon situated between the Berkeley Hills and the San Pablo Ridge, emptying into San Pablo Bay in Contra Costa County, northern California.
In 1772, the first recorded Spanish expedition crossed Wildcat Creek, although the Spaniards may have traveled this far north as early as 1769. The 1772 Fages and 1776 de Anza expeditions received festive greetings at two villages along Wildcat Creek, one of which was estimated at 100 – 200 people in size. Within three decades, nearly all the native Huchiun had been forced to move to Mission Dolores and convert to Christianity.
On an 1830 diseño of the Rancho San Pablo Wildcat Creek appears as Arroyo Seco (Dry Creek). Later it was also known as Arroyo Chiquito (Tiny Creek).
An 1861 map indicates that Wildcat Creek was called Little San Pablo Creek then. "Big" San Pablo Creek is located in the next drainage east of the drainage of Wildcat Creek. There are over fifty geographic place names in California with the word "wildcat", which either refers to the historic presence of bobcats (Lynx rufus) or to its meaning as an "unsound scheme".
The Wildcat Creek watershed drains 11.1 square miles (29 km2). The creek originates on Vollmer Peak in Tilden Regional Park just east of the city of Berkeley. It feeds the artificial Lake Anza (constructed in 1938) as well as the smaller reservoir Jewel Lake (constructed in 1921) along its course. In its lower course, it passes through the city of San Pablo and portions of the city of Richmond. Where it exits the hills, it passes through Alvarado Park, which includes a WPA-constructed stone arch bridge over the creek. It also courses through San Pablo's civic center and Davis Park. Wildcat Creek culminates in the 387 acre Wildcat Marsh and thence to San Pablo Bay.
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Wikipedia