Austin Creek

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Coordinates: 38°28′0″N 123°3′0″W / 38.46667, -123.05
Austin Creek
stream
Country United States
State California
Region Sonoma County
Tributaries
 - left East Austin Creek
 - right Bearpen Creek, Kidd Creek
City Cazadero, California
Source The Cedars (Sonoma County, California)
 - location 13 mi (20 km) west of Healdsburg, California
 - elevation 1,965 ft (599 m)
 - coordinates 38°37′50″N 123°7′48″W / 38.63056, -123.13 [1]
Mouth Russian River
 - location 1 mi (2 km) north of Duncans Mills, California
 - elevation 23 ft (7 m) [1]
 - coordinates 38°28′0″N 123°3′0″W / 38.46667, -123.05 [1]

Austin Creek is a stream in the mountains of western Sonoma County, California which empties into the Russian River about 4 mi (6 km) from the Pacific Ocean.

Contents

[edit] Course

The creek originates in an isolated area known as The Cedars, about 13 mi (20 km) west of Healdsburg, California. It flows south past Layton Mine into a wooded canyon, where it joins King Ridge Road just above its confluence with Bearpen Creek. It parallels King Ridge Road to the town of Cazadero and continues south through confluences with East Austin Creek and Kidd Creek. It flows under State Route 116 at milepost 4.93[2] and enters the Russian River about 1 mi (2 km) north of the town of Duncans Mills.

[edit] History

In the 1870's, the North Pacific Coast Railroad was built along Austin Creek to transport lumber from Cazadero to points south.

[edit] Habitat and pollution

As of 2000, Austin Creek and all its major tributaries all supported steelhead trout. Austin Creek and East Austin Creek also harbored California freshwater shrimp.[3]

[edit] Bridges

Many bridges span Austin Creek. The longest of these is the State Route 116 bridge, which is 380 ft (116 m) long and was built in 1962.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c USGS GNIS: Austin Creek
  2. ^ a b National Bridge Inventory Database.
  3. ^ Cox, Bill (2000). Major Streams in Sonoma County. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.

[edit] See also