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Dry Creek

Dry Creek, tributary of the Sacramento River, is a 17.6 mile long perennial stream that flows through Placer and Sacramento Counties, California. Its watershed covers an area of 101 square miles and begins just west of Auburn, in Placer County, California, flowing southwest through Roseville before converging with Steelhead Creek (East Natomas Drainage Canal) in Sacramento County.

Background

Dry Creek is a second order creek that flows year round. Its watershed extends from just southwest of Auburn near the town of Newcastle until it meets Steelhead Creek (East Natomas Main Drainage Canal) in Rio Linda. The majority of the watershed (about 84%) lies within Placer County and the remaining 16% lies in Sacramento County.

Flow

Dry Creek has an average annual discharge of 16,400 acre feet. A great majority (95%) of the creek’s water flow takes place between December and May due to the Mediterranean climate bringing seasonal precipitation in the winter and spring months. The rate of discharge in Dry Creek can be over 15,000 cubic feet per second in extreme flood events, but averages only 50 cubic feet per second in during the dry months (June-November). In the summer

-resource mgmt. plan

History

PreGoldRush – Before the Gold Rush the area around Dry Creek was comprised of flowing grasslands and thick groves of oaks and several streams. Large game including deer, Tule elk, and even the now extinct California grizzly were still present. http://www.roseville.ca.us/visiting/history_of_roseville/pre_1850.asp

The area was rich with vegetation and animals, providing an abundance of resources for natives for thousands of years file:///C:/Users/onetheycalldru/Downloads/DCWatershedResourceMgtPlan%20(4).pdf.

There were several major Nisenan, a subgroup of the Maidu, towns and smaller villages located within the Dry Creek watershed. The many oak trees produced an abundance of acorns and much larger populations of salmon in local streams supported the Maidu diet. Though the Maidu population was devastated by disease, being driven off the lands, and killed by miners and settlers some Maidu descendants remain in the area. *city of Roseville history - http://www.roseville.ca.us/visiting/history_of_roseville/pre_1850.asp 1.

1848 – Gold is discovered by James Marshall in near Coloma, California. Days later, the Treaty of Hidalgo is signed, California is annexed by the United States People from around the world rushed to California’s Sierra Nevadas in hopes of striking it rich. http://www.roseville.ca.us/visiting/history_of_roseville/1850s.asp and the non-native population of California grows from less than 1,000 to over 100,000 in less than two years. http://www.history.com/topics/gold-rush-of-1849 The first mining ditches are built in Placer County. At this time Dry Creek is seasonal, running dry in the summer months. Miners transform the hydrology and geomorphology in the region, especially in Secret and Miner’s Ravine. file:///C:/Users/onetheycalldru/Downloads/DCWatershedResourceMgtPlan%20(4).pdf

1850 – California officially becomes a state.

1850’s – agriculture begins to expand in the Dry Creek watershed. Miners failing to find gold transition to farming in the rich soils found throughout Dry Creek including Roseville and Loomis.

1860’s – farming increases in the region and Roseville. In 1864 the first transcontinental railroad is quickly built to connect Roseville, Rocklin, Folsom, Lincoln, and Sacramento bringing in more settlers. Granite mining in Rocklin begins.

1884 – on January 7th hydraulic mining is banned in California after a lawsuit filed by Edward Woodruff against North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company is won. Judge Lorenzo Sawyer rules hydraulic mining is “a public and private nuisance” https://books.google.com/books?id=huaSAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA487&lpg=PA487&dq=hydraulic+mining+public+and+private+nuisance&source=bl&ots=Z5XoBurl97&sig=D4VXbKfOhsqaFxw8zLmeuplbNGA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjG0eGL49rMAhVFzWMKHfL-CE4Q6AEILTAC#v=snippet&q=public%20nusiance&f=false and the ban on hydraulic mining is one of the first environmental laws in the United States http://www.150.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=27596

1890’s Agriculture has become the dominant industry in the region and the town of Roseville is a major distribution center. The existing mining canal system was switched to agricultural use and canal companies began selling water for irrigation. Canals are connected to carry more water for irrigation. Dry Creek begins flowing year round and no longer runs dry in summer months. A local Gold Rush in Roseville between 1891 and 1894 brings in new spectators, granite mining activity continues to increase in Rocklin.

1910’s – In 1908 Southern Pacific railroad moved its switching yard from Rocklin to Roseville, becoming the largest city in Placer County. Rapid expanse demanded increased infrastructure. Several projects were approved by the public including a bridge over Dry Creek. http://roseville.ca.us/visiting/history_of_roseville/1910s.asp The expansion of the railroad continued to fuel rapid growth and in 1913 the Pacific Fruit Exchange in Roseville became the largest icing plant in the world. In 1912 almost 2,000 train cars of granite is sent from Rocklin to San Francisco for constructing the state capitol and other buildings. In 1917 land along Dry Creek is acquired for a park, creating Royer’s Park.

1970’s Dry Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant is built and begins serving Roseville in 1974. Today it supplies treated water for irrigation to 4 golf courses and several parks.

1980’s Hewlet-Packard moves from San Francisco to Roseville, encouraging more growth while Sacramento development begins overflowing into Roseville and Rocklin as well. file:///C:/Users/onetheycalldru/Downloads/DCWatershedResourceMgtPlan%20(5).pdf

Continued growth?

Geology

The geology of the Dry Creek watershed is comprised of two provinces (link to wiki art.) the Sierra Nevada in the upper to middle part of the watershed and the Central Valley Geologic Province from the middle to the lowest part of the watershed. The majority of the upper watershed is Penryn/Rocklin Pluton, an intrusive igneous, dioritic rock formation. Also present is the Mehrten Formation in the western edge of the Sierra foothills, situated in the middle and northwest parts of the Dry Creek watershed. This formation is the result of volcanic eruptions that then flowed westward following the slop of land and is known to contain fossils of vertebrates.

The middle and lower parts of the watershed are dominated by the Central Valley Geologic Province. The Laguna Formation, in the central region of the watershed is made up largely by gravel of the Pliocene epoch. Erosion of the Sierras caused large deposits of the gravel throughout this part of the watershed.

From the middle and on towards Steelhead Creek in the west, the Dry Creek watershed mostly consists of the Turlock Lake Formation. It is thought that glaciation of the Sierra Nevada produced alluvial deposits which has been consolidated into the sandstone and siltstone found today.

The most recent alluvium consists of Holocene deposits of material including gravel and clay all along the entire Dry Creek watershed, getting wider further down the watershed.

Soils

Most of the soils found in the watershed are a product of the granitic and volcanic rock that have undergone geologic processing. The soil typically contains an impermeable layer which contributes to the risk of flood throughout the watershed. In the upper portion of the watershed the soil layer is thin with many outcrops of the rock formation below visible above the surface.

In the Placer County section of the watershed the majority (44%) of the soil is comprised of Andregg coarse sandy loam. This soil type is prone to erosion, sits on steep slopes, and maintains a shallow depth to the bedrock below. Other soils located in the Placer County section of the watershed include the Cormeta soils with Caperton, Exquecher, Inks, and Sierra, each with low permeability and water holding capability.

On the Sacramento County side of the Dry Creek watershed over half of the soils are Fiddyment, a fine sandy loam, mixed with impervious developed and urban areas. These soils are associated with a clay or hardpan and are prone to flood events. Also in the Sacramento part of the watershed are Liveoak and Sailboat soils. The liveoak soils formed from deposited, eroded granite and are associated with flooding, but are typically deep and well drained. Sailboat silt loam on the other hand has poor drainage and is common on narrow and low-lying floodplain and is susceptible to channeling.

file:///C:/Users/onetheycalldru/Downloads/DCWatershedResourceMgtPlan%20(5).pdf

Management

There are two major agencies that manage the water resources of the Dry Creek watershed, the Placer County Water Agency and the City of Roseville. The Placer County Water Agency supplies Placer County with water from the Yuba-Bear and American River watersheds while the City of Roseville receives water from the Central Valley Project. Dry Creek receives water from these sources and during dry months most of the water flowing in Dry Creek is likely imported from outside the watershed boundary.

Climate