It’s hard to tell now, but Oakland used to be flush with creeks. Glimmering streams running down rolling hills to meet the crisp waters of the San Francisco Bay flourished during the East Bay’s not-too-distant past. On the land that became Oakland, around 15 major creeks emptied into the Bay, and over 30 smaller tributaries fed these streams from the hills.
Filled with native fish, thriving plant life, and rich soils, the creeks of the East Bay defined the area’s ecological and hydrogeological history. For as long as humans have inhabited the Bay Area, creeks have been a vital life source, providing drinking water and food.
SERIES: EXPLORING OAKLAND’S CREEKS, FROM THE HILLS TO THE BAY
However, over 150 years of urban sprawl and industry have altered their natural flow, degraded their water quality, and reshaped the paths these creeks take. Many of Oakland’s streams were buried underground or channelized into rigid, straight paths unfit for native plants and creatures. In other areas, creeks were impacted by mining, logging, agriculture, and pollution.
Community groups, environmentalists, and government officials are working together today to try and revitalize some of these streams, but they are up against years of degradation and barriers—both physical and bureaucratic.
To better understand the condition Oakland’s creeks are in today—and their potential as natural and community resources—The Oaklandside is spending time talking with creek stewards, researchers, neighbors, environmental groups, and government officials who all have a stake in these local waterways. This new series will dive deep into the health of Oakland’s creeks, the communities that live around them, and the people who look after them. While many of the city’s streams share similar challenges, they each have their own unique problems and potentials. And while they now exist in various states of health, they were once all part of the same rich ecosystem.
Urbanization hid and hindered Oakland’s wild creeks
The East Bay was shaped by its watersheds—literally. Rainfall flowed down the hills cutting deep ravines before spilling onto the flatlands where channels meandered into the bay. The entire way, water carved the mountains and plains, and built the marshes where land and Bay overlapped.
The Ohlone people—the indigenous inhabitants of Oakland and much of the Bay Area, were cultivators of the East Bay’s watersheds, long before settlers came and dammed, diverted, and culverted the creeks. And unlike the settlers who would later claim the land that became Oakland, the Ohlone’s impact wasn’t harmful to biodiversity and human health.
“The [Ohlones] pruned shrubs in a way that encouraged the growth of branches (for use of baskets), and the weeded of the plants that competed with those they needed for food. They set fires to improve access to certain areas to attract and improve forage for wildlife (which they then hunted), and to prevent chaparral from out-competing the native grasses,” the Bay Area-based writer Lisa Owens-Viani explained in a paper on the cultural and natural history of Sausal Creek, which has its headwaters in the Montclair neighborhood and flows downhill through Dimond and Fruitvale before meeting the Bay.
During the colonization of California, from the late 1700s through the mid-1800s, the cultural and ecological landscape of the East Bay was rapidly transformed. When the Spanish settled the East Bay in the late 18th Century, they brought with them cattle, European grasses, and diseases.
Cattle and these non-native plants severely impacted the watersheds’ plant and soil composition. Erosion started to destroy the banks of streams and damage vital aquatic and riparian habitats. Later, as more settlers came from Mexico and the United States, sawmills, ranches, and fruit orchards were established, and large parts of the hills were logged of timber. The discovery of precious metals in the Sierra Nevada set off the infamous Gold Rush, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to California, thousands of them settling in the East Bay hills.
At the same time, California’s settlers and the government pursued genocidal policies against the Ohlone and other tribes. Native people were pushed off their land and forced onto reservations. Their cultures and languages were suppressed, and many died of violence and disease. Their ways of tending the land and watersheds were replaced with industrial methods of extraction and exploitation.
Over time, the East Bay was built up into towns and then sprawling cities. With the increased presence of impervious surfaces such as roofs and pavement, soil was less able to absorb rainfall. Increased flooding washed away creek beds and overflowed into people’s property. Tidal marshlands were also gradually destroyed in this process.
At the same time, Oakland’s need for water increased. Drinking water was mainly sourced from local creeks running out of the hills. A handful of small utility companies were established to pipe water into Oakland and other urban areas. Various creeks were dammed, creating reservoirs to provide water to the cities.
In 1923, the East Bay Municipal Utility District was formed to service the growing area. By the 1920s East Bay residents started receiving a portion of their water from the far-off Sierra Nevada mountains via the Mokelumne River. As a result, local creeks became less important as sources of potable water.
One other issue emerged during this time of urbanization in the East Bay: pollution. Early in the city’s growth, Oakland’s sewers flowed directly into the creeks and Lake Merritt, where multiple creeks emptied into. While raw sewage was later diverted to treatment plants, stormwater runoff from the streets and illegal dumping of trash and chemicals continue to poison and pollute most of Oakland’s creeks to this day.
To deal with flooding and other issues caused by Oakland’s rapid urban expansion, East Bay cities and Alameda County formed the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District in 1949. The creeks, once free to carve their own paths, were forced underground—culverted, channelized, and diverted. This not only affected their natural flow, it also separated native plants and fish from their connection to the Bay’s waters.
“In the flatlands, East Bay creeks are now almost completely buried or channelized,” authors Sarah Pollock & Christopher Richard explained in the Oakland Museum of California’s 1993 Guide to East Bay Creeks.
New visions for restoring creeks in Oakland
Projects to address the harmful effects of urbanization, pollution, and erosion of Oakland’s creeks have been going on for decades. But in recent years, more Oakland residents—beyond the environmental movement—have become interested in restoring urban streams.
In some cases, streams that were buried in tunnels underground have been “daylighted,” allowing them to revert back to a more “natural” state. The city of Oakland as well as Alameda County have assisted in multiple stream restoration projects over the years. Additionally, community groups like Friends of Sausal Creek, Friends of San Leandro Creek, and East Bay Chapter of the Native Plant Society, among others, have worked to steward watersheds and build communities around them.
For 20 years, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, along with several other groups, has been working to restore the Bay Area’s historic wetlands through the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. Numerous other ecological restoration projects, from the Bay to the hills, are underway.
However, many community advocates and environmentalists say there is still a lot of work to be done. Each creek, and even different sections of one creek, can present unique challenges.
Oakland’s creeks flow through multiple different environments before meeting the bay’s edge. The issues facing these streams in the hills differ from the challenges in the flatlands. Stewards of Oakland’s creeks must address each of these issues. Many of the creeks now underground, run through neighborhoods, parks, and commercial spaces where they cannot often feasibly see the light of day. Additionally, these streams run through different neighborhoods and communities in Oakland, each of which has a unique perspective and connection to the watersheds.
This series will highlight the communities that are dedicating their time to ensure Oakland’s watersheds flourish again. We will dive into the area’s ecological history, looking at specific creeks like Sausal, San Leandro, and Temescal, examining government programs and policies impacting our watersheds, and speaking to experts, neighbors, and volunteers who have long sought to improve our region’s smaller waterways.
If you have thoughts, concerns, or tips about a creek near you, let us know.
