Windsor Creek | |
stream | |
Country | United States |
---|---|
State | California |
Region | Sonoma County |
Tributaries | |
- left | Pool Creek |
City | Windsor, California |
Source | |
- location | 5 mi (8 km) southeast of Healdsburg, California |
- coordinates | 38°35′26″N 122°47′38″W / 38.59056°N 122.79389°W |
Mouth | Mark West Creek |
- location | 3 mi (5 km) northeast of Forestville |
- coordinates | 38°29′48″N 122°50′58″W / 38.49667°N 122.84944°WCoordinates: 38°29′48″N 122°50′58″W / 38.49667°N 122.84944°W |
Windsor Creek is an 8.8-mile-long (14.2 km) southward-flowing stream in Sonoma County, California, United States, which rises near Healdsburg, California and feeds into Mark West Creek west of the Sonoma County Airport. Its waters reach the Pacific Ocean by way of the Russian River.
Windsor Creek rises about 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Healdsburg. It descends southward into the town of Windsor, paralleling Brooks Road to Hiram Lewis Park. It parallels Brooks Road South to U.S. Route 101, crossing under the freeway at milepost 29.5. It continues southwest through farmland to a confluence with Pool Creek east of Pratt Road. From there, it flows south to empty into Mark West Creek about 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Forestville.
The watershed is about 25 square miles, with a maximum elevation of about 800 feet and a minimum elevation of about 50 feet. The creek is seasonal and is generally dry during the summer months. With increased urbanization in the Windsor area, some parts of the creek retain water in isolated pools through the summer, due to runoff from sprinklers and other urban sources.
The Community Clean Water Institute (CCWI) monitors pollutants in Windsor Creek and other Sonoma County streams. Their sampling showed that Windsor creek exceeded the North Coast Basin Plan Objectives for conductivity and dissolved oxygen in 2006. CCWI has also issued alerts for nitrates in Windsor Creek.
Windsor Creek is crossed by at least five bridges: