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San José's Creeks & Rivers
What watershed are
you located in?
A watershed is a land area from which water drains into a major
body of water such as a stream, lake, wetland, bay or estuary, or
percolates into groundwater. Watersheds come in different shapes
and sizes. Local watersheds are parts of larger, regional basins.
Our Santa Clara basin, for example, is a sub-basin of the larger
San Francisco Bay Basin.
A watershed begins at the top of a hill or mountain ridge and is
ultimately defined by gravity. The Santa Clara Basin is bounded
by the Diablo Mountains to the east and the Santa Cruz Mountains
to the south and west. Raindrops falling east of the Santa Cruz
Mountains ridgeline or west of the Diablo Range hills flow into
our watershed. South San Francisco Bay receives the runoff water
of our watersheds.
The following six major watersheds are located in the City of San
José:
- Coyote
- Guadalupe
- Lower Penintenica
- San Tomas
- Calabazas
- Baylands
Check this map of the
City’s watersheds to find out what watershed you are located
in. You can also read the stencil on the stormdrain near your house
or business to find out what river the water on your street flows
into.
A watershed is more than just a drainage area. It’s the place
where we live, work, play and find inspiration for our daily lives.
Watersheds also provide critical habitats for the native wildlife
and plants in our environment. It’s important for us to understand
how our everyday activities impact our watershed so that we can
protect our Santa Clara Basin.
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Why protect San José’s
creeks and rivers?
Water that enters our City storm drain system flows untreated into
the nearest creek or river and ultimately to the San Francisco Bay.
Stormwater runoff, in the form of rain or irrigation water, collects
pollutants by flowing over sidewalks, driveways, curbs, and landscaping.
Common
pollutants - such as trash, oil, soap, paint, copper, nickel,
mercury, and pesticides - can degrade, or impair, water quality
in our local creeks and rivers. Less commonly recognized pollutants,
such as leaves
or landscape clippings, can reduce the amount of oxygen available
in the creeks for fish which makes it difficult for fish to live.
Even soil and sediment can impair water quality, both by degrading
spawning habitat in the creeks and by carrying pollutants such as
copper, nickel and other heavy metals that readily bind to sediment.
Rivers carrying excessive sediment and other pollutants can significantly
reduce spawning habitat for fish, which in turn impacts other wildlife.
These pollutants, individually and cumulatively, adversely affect
fish, plants and wildlife that live in and depend on the City’s
rivers and creeks.
Also, it’s the law. Water quality in creeks, rivers, storm
drains and the Bay is protected and regulated by State laws like
the California
Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, Federal laws, such
as the Clean
Water Act, as well as local ordinances.
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How do our activities
impact the watershed?
The everyday activities of businesses and residents impact the
watershed in both positive and negative ways. Think about the things
you do that can harm the watershed, such as applying pesticides
and washing vehicles in the street with soapy water and the things
you do that benefit your local watershed, such as taking your car
to a car wash, minimizing or eliminating the use of pesticides,
never dumping anything down the stormdrain, and biking or taking
public transit instead of your car. See the sidebar on this web
page for more information on how you can prevent pollution.
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File an illegal storm drain dumping
complaint
Only rain down the storm drain! If you see someone dumping, spilling,
or causing anything other than rainwater to get into the gutter
or stormdrain, call the number painted on the storm drain: 945-3000.
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Report Storm Drain Dumping
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Call
(408) 945-3000
Or use the online form to
report illegal dumping to the storm drain.
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Pollution Prevention -
Residents
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