Graham Creek (38.369ºN 122.538ºW) is a perennial stream in Sonoma County, California, tributary to Sonoma Creek.^[1] Graham Creek rises in the northern Sonoma Mountains and flows generally northeasterly down the northeastern flank of Sonoma Mountain. Historically this watercourse was called Wild Water Creek, a name used in the time of author Jack London, some of whose work was inspired by the stream.^[2] Steelhead, Oncorhynchus mykiss, have historically entered Graham Creek via Sonoma Creek for spawning. Stream surveys conducted from 1966 to 1986 indicated significant, but declining populations of anadromous fish.^[3] The spawning habitat of Graham Creek is considered medium to high value, with both winter and summer sheltering characteristics.^[4] A Red Valerian, a perennial plant. ... A running stream. ... Sonoma County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, north of Marin County and the San Francisco Bay Area. ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... Waterfall at Sugarloaf Mountain headwaters of Sonoma Creek Sonoma Creek is one of two principal drainages of Southern Sonoma County, California, with headwaters rising in the rugged hills of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and discharge to San Pablo Bay, the northern arm of San Francisco Bay. ... The Sonoma Mountains are a northwest-southeast trending formation of California Coast Ranges in Sonoma County, California, USA.[1] These mountains were formed by uplift and volcanic action about twelve million years ago in the Miocene period. ... Sonoma Mountain is a prominent landform within the Sonoma Mountains of southern Sonoma County, California. ... A waterway is any navigable body of water. ... Jack London, probably born John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916)[4][5][6] was an American author who wrote The Call of the Wild and over fifty other books. ... Binomial name Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum, 1792 The Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), also called steelhead trout, is a single species of trout native to the Pacific Ocean and in North American rivers and lakes west of the Rocky Mountains. ... Frog spawn Spawning is the production or depositing of eggs in large numbers by aquatic animals. ... Many types of fish undertake migrations on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annual, and with distances ranging from a few meters to thousands of kilometers. ...

Land uses in the watershed are primarily open space, agriculture and low density residential uses; waste disposal within the watershed contains no municipal collection system and consists totally of septic and lagoon treatment. Most of the watershed is covered with native California oak woodland habitat populated with a variety of riparian and upland flora and fauna. Historical grazing that began in the 1800s caused certain ecological damage, some of which has been reversed by the present time. Watershed has more than one meaning: Look up watershed in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In urban planning, open space is publicly owned land that is preserved from urbanization (paving or building). ... Sepsis (in Greek Σήψις) is a serious medical condition caused by a severe systemic infection leading to a systemic inflammatory response. ... This mid bay barrier in Narrabeen, a suburb of Sydney (Australia), has blocked what used to be a bay to form a lagoon. ... California oak woodland is a plant community found throughout the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of California and northwestern Baja California. ... Look up habitat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A riparian zone schematic from the Everglades. ... Simplified schematic of an islands flora - all its plant species, highlighted in boxes. ... Fauna is a collective term for animal life of any particular region or time. ... Grazing is the regular consumption of part of one organism without killing it by another organism. ... Ecology is the branch of science that studies the distribution and abundance of living organisms, and the interactions between organisms and their environment. ...

History

Archeological surface surveys indicate that the Graham Creek watershed was used as a seasonal hunting and gathering ground by prehistoric Pomo and Wappo people, who traveled extensively to forage and barter. The earliest historical records show the property was within a Spanish Land Grant in the 1860s. By the late 1890s much of the lower watershed had been overgrazed, as noted by Jack London who purchased numerous ranches comprising the lower reaches in the early 1900s. London commented that he wished to reverse the ecological damage in the watershed, which was caused by construction of check dams and animal grazing by the early European pioneers.^[5] Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... In anthropology, the hunter-gatherer way of life is that led by certain societies of the Neolithic Era based on the exploitation of wild plants and animals. ... Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... The Pomo drink water from the river are a Native American people of Northern California. ... The Wappo were a group of Native Americans who lived in the Napa and Russian River areas of Northern California. ... History is often used as a generic term for information about the past, such as in geologic history of the Earth. When used as the name of a field of study, history refers to the study and interpretation of the record of human societies. ... A land grant is a gift of land made by the government for projects such as roads, railroads, or especially academic institutions. ... Jack London, probably born John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916)[4][5][6] was an American author who wrote The Call of the Wild and over fifty other books. ... Ecology is the branch of science that studies the distribution and abundance of living organisms, and the interactions between organisms and their environment. ... Grazing is the regular consumption of part of one organism without killing it by another organism. ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... Pioneer may refer to: Woodsman, one who makes his living in the wilderness through trapping, hunting, logging, and/or prospecting Settler, one who has travelled from his or her homeland by choice to live in a new land or colony Mormon Pioneer, a members of the Church of Jesus Christ...

Ecology

Oak woodland in watershed of middle reach of Graham Creek.

The riparian forests along Graham Creek and its tributaries are quite verdant and have a considerable canopy height, due to the eastern exposure of the relatively steep Sonoma Mountain, which favors forests to outcompete grassland, and whose reulting moister climate nurtures lush tree growth. The most common plant community is the California oak woodland, which has a canopy of coast live oak, Garry oak, Black oak, Pacific Madrone, Bigleaf maple and California laurel. In some of the steeper, cooler riparian zones there are also small groves of Coast redwood, Sequoia sempervirens. In these oak woodlands, the dominant understory plants are toyon, blackberry, western poison-oak and in occasional drier patches some coyote brush. Common animals observed include Black-tailed Deer, gray squirrel, raccoon, skunk and opossum. Less frequently bobcat and mountain lion are seen. There is abundant birdlife including the scrub jay, Steller's jay, Acorn woodpecker and junco. Because of the rich soils and mild climate, there are significant sized vineyards at elevations up to 1700 feet (518 meters) on the northeast flanks of the mountain, positioned like mosaics in a patchwork of mostly oak forest; these grapes contribute to some premium varietal wines, some of which are marketed as premium Sonoma Valley appellations. This article belongs in one or more categories. ... California oak woodland is a plant community found throughout the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of California and northwestern Baja California. ... The canopy is the habitat found at the uppermost level of a forest, especially rainforest. ... Binomial name Quercus agrifolia The Coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia, also called the California live oak, is an evergeen oak, highly variable and often shrubby, found in the coastal regions of southwestern North America from Mendocino County, California south to northern Baja California in Mexico. ... Binomial name Quercus garryana The Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana), also known as Garry Oak, has a range from northern California to British Columbia. ... Binomial name Quercus velutina Lamb. ... ... Binomial name Acer macrophyllum Pursh The Bigleaf Maple or Oregon Maple (Acer macrophyllum) is a large deciduous tree to 35 m tall. ... Binomial name Umbellularia californica Umbellularia californica is an evergreen tree of the Lauraceae family. ... A well maintained Riparian strip on a tributary to Lake Erie. ... Binomial name Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl. ... Understory (or understorey) is the term for the area of a forest which grows in the shade of the overstory or canopy. ... Binomial name Heteromeles arbutifolia (Lindl. ... The BlackBerry is a wireless handheld device introduced in 1999 which supports push e-mail, mobile telephone, text messaging, internet faxing, web browsing and other wireless information services. ... Binomial name Toxicodendron diversilobum (Torr. ... Binomial name Baccharis pilularis DC. Baccharis pilularis, called Coyote brush, Chaparral Broom, and Bush Baccharis, is a shrub in the Asteraceae that grows in California, Oregon, and Baja California. ... Trinomial name Odocoileus hemionus columbianus Richardson, 1829 Like all deer, black-tailed deer are herbivores. ... Gray squirrel is the common name for two species of squirrel native to North America: The Eastern Gray Squirrel (also introduced elsewhere) The Western Gray Squirrel. ... Type Species Procyon lotor Linnaeus, 1758 Species Procyon cancrivorus Procyon insularis Procyon lotor Raccoons are nocturnal mammals in the genus Procyon of the Procyonidae family. ... Genera Conepatus Mydaus Mephitis Spilogale Skunks are moderately small mammals, usually with black-and-white fur, belonging to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora. ... This article or section should be merged with Virginia_opossum The word opossum (usually pronounced without the leading O, or with only a very slight schwa) refers either to the Virginia Opossum in particular, or more generally to any of the other marsupials of magnorder Ameridelphia. ... Binomial name Lynx rufus Schreber, 1777 The Bobcat (Lynx rufus, or commonly felis rufus) is a wild cat native to North America. ... Binomial name Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) The puma (Puma concolor) is a type of large cat found in North, Central and South America. ... Orders Many - see section below. ... Species Aphelocoma californica – Western Scrub Jay Aphelocoma coerulescens – Florida Scrub Jay Aphelocoma insularis – Island Scrub Jay Aphelocoma ultramarina – Mexican Jay Aphelocoma unicolor – Unicolored Jay The scrub jays are passerine birds of the genus Aphelocoma. ... Binomial name Cyanocitta stelleri (Gmelin, 1788) The Stellers Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is a jay of western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the continent, but having a black head and upper body. ... Binomial name Melanerpes formicivorus (Swainson,, 1827) The Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) is a medium-sized woodpecker. ... Species Junco hyemalis - Dark-eyed Junco Junco insularis - Guadalupe Junco Junco phaeonotus - Yellow-eyed Junco Junco vulcani - Volcano Junco The Juncos, genus Junco, comprise three to eight species of small American sparrow. ... A vineyard Vineyard with bird netting Wine grapes with netting as protection against birds A vineyard (vignoble in French, vigna or vigneto in Italian, vinha in Portuguese, viña or viñedo in Spanish, Weinberg in German) is a place where grapes are grown for making wine, raisins, or table... Species Vitis acerifolia Vitis aestivalis Vitis amurensis Vitis arizonica Vitis x bourquina Vitis californica Vitis x champinii Vitis cinerea Vitis x doaniana Vitis girdiana Vitis labrusca Vitis x labruscana Vitis lincecumii Vitis monticola Vitis mustangensis Vitis x novae-angliae Vitis palmata Vitis riparia Vitis rotundifolia Vitis rupestris Vitis shuttleworthii Vitis... Wine is an alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of the juice of fruits, usually grapes. ... Today in a town we like to call sonoma valley about 17 minutes away from santa rosa Sean virrtoes was cought with his pants down and know we have reason to believe that sean is not straight but might be gay we have reached a new world change, ALSo just... An appellation in its broadest sense is a name or designation. ...

Anadromous fish movements in Graham Creek have been studied, although even more extensive research has been conducted of the mainstem Sonoma Creek. These investigations have demonstrated a historical decline in spawning and habitat value for these species, primarily due to sedimentation^[6] and secondarily to removal of riparian vegetation since the 1800s. Because of the steep slopes of Graham Creek, the removal of vegetative shading was not as severe as certain other tributaries of Sonoma Creek such as Carriger Creek and Yulupa Creek, where grazing animals could easily wander into the creekbeds of lower reaches. In the case of Graham Creek, relatively steep side canyons and stream gradient commence almost immediately above the confluence with Sonoma Creek. Many types of fish undertake migrations on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annual, and with distances ranging from a few meters to thousands of kilometers. ... Headwaters area of Yulupa Creek in the northern Sonoma Mountains with distant view of Mayacmas Mountains. ... Grand Canyon, Arizona A canyon or gorge is a deep valley between cliffs often carved from the Earth by a river. ... A grade (or gradient) is the pitch of a slope, and is often expressed as a percent tangent, or rise over run. It is used to express the steepness of slope on a hill, roof, or road, where zero indicates level (with respect to gravity) and increasing numbers correlate to... Confluence of Rhine and Mosel at Koblenz In geography, a confluence describes the point where two rivers meet and become one, usually when a tributary joins a more major river. ...

See also

• Jack London State Historic Park
• Yulupa Creek

Jack London State Historic Park is a public access property near Glen Ellen, California situated on the eastern slope of Sonoma Mountain. ... Headwaters area of Yulupa Creek in the northern Sonoma Mountains with distant view of Mayacmas Mountains. ...

References

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ... San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, and the Golden Gate The San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining approximately forty percent of California, flowing in Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. ... An ecosystem, a contraction of ecological and system, refers to the collection of components and processes that comprise, and govern the behavior of, some defined subset of the biosphere. ... Look up habitat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Jack London, probably born John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916)[4][5][6] was an American author who wrote The Call of the Wild and over fifty other books. ... The University of California (UC) is a public university system in the state of California. ... United States Army Corps of Engineers logo The United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, is made up of some 34,600 civilian and 650 military men and women. ...

External links

• 1946 Historical Stream Survey of Graham Creek by California Department of Fish and Game