Coyote Creek Watershed Historical Ecology Study
Historical condition, Landscape change and restoration potential in the Eastern Santa Clara Valley, California
This report synthesizes historical evidence into a picture of how Coyote Creek looked and functioned before intensive modification. Prepared for the Santa Clara Valley Water District, the report helps explain contemporary landscape conditions and identify options for watershed restoration, natural flood protection, and integrated water management.
Funder
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Download the Report
- Executive Summary Option 1: Letter 8.5 x 11—Prints double sided, portrait view.(28 MB)
- Executive Summary Option 2: 11 x 17—Prints double-sided, landscape view on 11 by 17 inch paper. PDF has been assembled so that the brochure's pages print out correctly when the brochure is assembled and folded in half. (27 MB)
- Complete Report (183 MB)
Bound, full-color copies of the report can be obtained for $50, plus tax and postage (contact: linda@sfei.org or 510-746-7355).
Download GIS Data
This dataset includes Santa Clara Valley and adjacent baylands
ESRI ArcMap 10 file geodatabase (.gdb) format
Historical Habitats, Channels and Distributaries
The Santa Clara Valley Water District's Watching Our Watersheds (WOW) project has adapted Historical Ecology data into Google Earth (KMZ) format. An adapted version of SFEI's mapping of Coyote Creek watershed is available for download: Central Santa Clara Valley Historical (3 Mb)
Related Projects, News, and Events:
Resilient Silicon Valley (Project)
Drawing on resilience science, regional data, and local expertise, we will develop the vision and tools that will allow stakeholders in the region ensure that local actions contribute toward the creation of a high-functioning and resilient Silicon Valley ecosystem.
Historical Tidal-Terrestrial Transition Zone in South SF Bay (Project)
First there was the great salt marsh, with all its winding sloughs and creeks, covered with samphire grass [Salicornia] and tufts of Grindelia; next was a line of natural salt pan; next again was a strip of land of varying width, from a few hundred yards to one fourth mile, with a short wiry hard grass [Distichlis]… (Beardsley, in Cooper 1926)