Colma Creek

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Coordinates: 37°39′N 122°26′W / 37.65, -122.433

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Colma Creek
Country	United States
State	California
Major city	South San Francisco
Discharge at	South San Francisco-San Francisco International Airport^[1]
Source	Northern San Bruno Mountain
- location	San Mateo County^[2]
- coordinates	37°40′27″N 122°27′29″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, -122.3925
- elevation	0 ft (0 m)

Colma Creek is a small creek that flows toward the San Francisco Bay from near San Bruno Mountain. The source starts north of the Guadalupe Parkway.^[3] It flows down southwest and makes a 90 degree turn to flow southeastward. The creek loses elevation as it flows through the cities of Daly City and Colma. Its small delta is just in between South San Francisco and the San Francisco International Airport.^[1] The creek has one named tributary stream named Twelvemile Creek.^[4]

[edit] 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 walls, buried some parts, and had most of its large delta filled in by developers. Much 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 and other species that use the creek. The headwaters of the creek are lined with non-native trees like Eucalyptus, Cypress, and Himalaya Berry, displacing the native riparian plants like dogwood and willow.^[3] The creek sometimes runs dry due to the non-native vegetation lowering the water table at the source. In the past couple of years however, habitat restoration companies like Shelterbeltbuilders are helping to return the creek to its former state by removing invasive and non-native plants and replanting native, riparian plants at the source. 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 project.^[5]