A Pictorial Journey through the San Leandro Watershed

The San Leandro Historical Society is pleased to announce speaker Susan Levenson, Watershed Awareness Coordinator for the Friends of the San Leandro Creek, presenting "A Pictorial Journey through the San Leandro Watershed" at the Historical Society's Little Brown Church on Saturday, April 28 at 2:00 p.m., on the grounds of the Casa Peralta, 384 W. Estudillo in San Leandro. This event is free and open to the public.

All around the San Francisco Bay, an abundance of creeks gathers fresh water from the hills and flatlands and delivers it to the shore. While each creek has a unique profile and history, they all share this connection to a common destination: the Bay. Each creek’s reach also extends into its own geographical watershed—all the lands that drain their water into that particular creek. These lands include the primary source of the creek—its headwaters—and all of other smaller tributaries that add water to the creek along its journey to the Bay. Given the unique role of water to geological, biological, and human history, a creek watershed literally and figuratively weaves together the story of life in that community.

The San Leandro Creek watershed is a drainage basin 48 square miles in area. It encompasses lands in both Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, and includes parts of Oakland, Orinda, Moraga, Canyon, Castro Valley, and San Leandro. Along much of this creek’s journey it passes through lands sparsely inhabited, if at all. In other places it moves through dense residential and industrial corridors. In the past, these same lands supported several Native American tribes, were explored and settled by the Spanish, attracted those drawn to California during its Gold Rush, and witnesses the influx of other pioneers, ranchers, entrepreneurs, and immigrants. The San Leandro Creek Watershed represents a microcosm of the natural and human history that has shaped the Bay Area and California. And in many ways, the story of this watershed, writ large, is much of the tale of the American West.

Quoted from “A Walking Tour of the Upper San Leandro Creek Watershed” by the Friends of San Leandro Creek

Join us for a fun and interactive presentation that engages you in the stories, history, geography, and present day of the San Leandro Creek watershed.

For more information: www.sanleandrohistory.org