Arroyo Seco Creek

Arroyo Seco Creek, or simply Arroyo Seco,[1] is a 6.9-mile-long (11.1 km)[2] tributary stream to Schell Creek in southern Sonoma County, California, United States. In Spanish arroyo seco means "dry creek".

For the canyon and creek in Southern California, see Arroyo Seco (Los Angeles County).
Arroyo Seco Creek
Arroyo Seco
Middle reach of Arroyo Seco Creek
Location of the mouth of Arroyo Seco Creek in California
EtymologySpanish
Location
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
RegionSonoma County
CitySonoma, California
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • location4 mi (6 km) northeast of Sonoma, California
 • coordinates38°20′8″N 122°25′3″W[1]
 • elevation1,345 ft (410 m)
MouthSchell Creek
 • location
4 mi (6 km) south of Sonoma, California
 • coordinates
38°14′42″N 122°26′5″W[1]
 • elevation
13 ft (4.0 m)
Basin size11.4 sq mi (30 km2)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftHaraszthy Creek

Arroyo Seco Creek drains a portion of the western slopes of the southern Mayacamas Mountains. Its 11.4-square-mile (30 km2) watershed,[3] along with the entire Mayacamas mountain block, was formed in the Miocene era by volcanic action and with tectonic uplift about 12 million years ago.

Soils of the immediate streambed and its vicinity are classified as the riverwash series, recent deposition of sands and gravels.[4]

Arroyo Seco Creek springs near the Napa County line about 4 mi (6 km) northeast of Sonoma, California. It flows southward, emerging from the hills near Sonoma Valley Hospital. After a confluence with Haraszthy Creek, it crosses under State Route 12 near Schellville, California, where it flows into Schell Creek. Schell Creek discharges to a network of sloughs that eventually empty into Sonoma Creek, which in turn empties into the Napa Sonoma Marsh and San Pablo Bay.

See also

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Arroyo Seco
  2. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-04-05 at WebCite, accessed March 10, 2011
  3. Arroyo Seco Creek California Fish and Game 1976 Stream Survey
  4. Soil Survey, Sonoma County, California, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, Government Printing Office, Washington DC, May 1972
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