# Colma Creek > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Colma_Creek > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Colma_Creek.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colma_Creek > Source revision: 1303029245 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) River in California, United States Colma Creek Location Country United States State California City South San Francisco Physical characteristics Source Northern San Bruno Mountain • location San Mateo County[2] • coordinates 37°40′27″N 122°27′29″W / 37.67417°N 122.45806°W / 37.67417; -122.45806 Mouth San Francisco Bay (Pacific Ocean) • location San Mateo County[2] • coordinates 37°38′40″N 122°23′33″W / 37.64444°N 122.39250°W / 37.64444; -122.39250 • elevation 0 ft (0 m) Discharge • location South San Francisco–San Francisco International Airport[1] In this aerial view of [South San Francisco](/source/South_San_Francisco), Colma Creek is seen crossing west–east beneath the [Caltrain](/source/Caltrain) tracks and [U.S. Route 101](/source/U.S._Route_101). **Colma Creek** is a small creek that flows to the [San Francisco Bay](/source/San_Francisco_Bay) from its source in the Crocker Hills portion of [San Bruno Mountain State and County Park](/source/San_Bruno_Mountain_State_Park), north of [San Mateo County](/source/San_Mateo_County%2C_California)'s Guadalupe Canyon Parkway,[3] with contribution from April Brook on San Bruno Mountain proper, south of the Parkway.[4] It flows southwest and makes a 90-degree bend in [Daly City](/source/Daly_City%2C_California) to flow southeastward, through Daly City, [Colma](/source/Colma%2C_California), and [South San Francisco](/source/South_San_Francisco%2C_California) to the bay. Its small delta is between [South San Francisco](/source/South_San_Francisco%2C_California) and the [San Francisco International Airport](/source/San_Francisco_International_Airport).[1] The creek has a tributary stream named Twelvemile Creek, which joins it from the southwest along Westborough Blvd. in South San Francisco.[4] The upper bridge across Colma Creek on the Bog Trail, San Bruno Mountain State and County Park, looking into the headwaters in the eucalyptus grove above ## History The large delta the creek once supported was an important stop for migratory waterfowl and other wildlife. However, like many urban creeks, Colma Creek has been surrounded by [flood control](/source/Flood_control) walls, buried in some parts, and had much of its large delta filled in by developers. Most of the lower parts of the creek are devoid of native vegetation due to the flood control project, reducing the habitat of the endangered [California clapper rail](/source/California_clapper_rail) and other species that use the creek. The headwaters of the creek are lined with non-native trees like [eucalyptus](/source/Eucalyptus), [cypress](/source/Cupressaceae), and [Himalayan blackberry](/source/Rubus_armeniacus), displacing the native riparian plants like [dogwood](/source/Dogwood) and [willow](/source/Willow). The creek sometimes runs dry due to the non-native vegetation lowering the water table at the source. In 2005, Shelterbelt Builders developed a habitat restoration plan to return the creek to its former state by removing invasive and non-native plants and replanting native, [riparian](/source/Riparian) plants at the source.[3] In addition, in South San Francisco, new wetland was created to mitigate wetland lost to floodwall construction and improvements. The California clapper rail is expected to reinhabit the new salt and freshwater wetland, along with other species displaced by the flood control works.[5] The [United States Geological Survey](/source/United_States_Geological_Survey) operated a [stream gauge](/source/Stream_gauge) on Colma Creek from 1963 to 1996 (gage 11162720). It recorded a peak gage height of 7.53 feet and a peak flow of 3,560 cfs on Dec. 8, 1987.[6] ## Watercourse gallery - On the west side of El Camino Real in front of Woodlawn Memorial Park, Colma, looking northwest - By the South San Francisco BART station, looking northwest along the border with Colma - At Chestnut Ave, looking southeast, just above where Twelve Mile Creek joins from the right - Twelve Mile Creek at Antoinette Lane, South San Francisco, looking southwest, upstream - At Orange Memorial Park, South San Francisco, looking northwest into the park - At S. Linden Ave, South San Francisco, as the creek approaches the railroad tracks and US 101 on its way to the bay ## See also - [List of watercourses in the San Francisco Bay Area](/source/List_of_watercourses_in_the_San_Francisco_Bay_Area) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-TZ_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-TZ_1-1) ["Colma Creek, USGS San Francisco South (CA) Topo Map"](http://www.topoquest.com/map.asp?datum=NAD83&lat=37.64438&lon=-122.39247). *USGS Quad maps*. TopoQuest.com. Retrieved 2008-06-29. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-GNIS_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-GNIS_2-1) ["Feature Detail Report for: Colma Creek (San Mateo County, California)"](https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/221398). *[Geographic Names Information System](/source/Geographic_Names_Information_System)*. [United States Geological Survey](/source/United_States_Geological_Survey), [United States Department of the Interior](/source/United_States_Department_of_the_Interior). January 19, 1981. Retrieved December 18, 2007. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-restoration_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-restoration_3-1) ["Colma Creek Restoration Plan, Shelterbelt Builders, Inc"](http://www.shelterbeltbuilders.com/cs/colma.htm). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-museumca_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-museumca_4-1) ["Colma Creek Watershed"](http://www.museumca.org/creeks/1590-RescColma.html). Museumca.org. Retrieved 2007-08-16. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Ref2_5-0)** ["San Mateo County Department of Public Works"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070815223734/http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/smc/department/dpw/home/0%2C%2C5562541_73389509_73019635%2C00.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/smc/department/dpw/home/0,,5562541_73389509_73019635,00.html) on 2007-08-15. Retrieved 2007-08-16. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** USGS 11162720 COLMA C A SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO CA, [https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/dv?referred_module=sw&site_no=11162720](https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/dv?referred_module=sw&site_no=11162720) Authority control databases International VIAF National United States Israel Other Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Colma Creek](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colma_Creek) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colma_Creek?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.