Austin Creek

Geobox|River
name = Austin Creek
native_name =
other_name =
category = stream
etymology =
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image_caption =
country = United States
state = California
region = Sonoma County
district =
municipality =
parent =
tributary_left = East Austin Creek
tributary_right = Bearpen Creek
tributary_right1 = Kidd Creek
city = Cazadero, California
landmark =
river =
source = The Cedars (Sonoma County, California)
source_location = convert|13|mi|km|-1|lk=on|abbr=on west of Healdsburg, California
source_region = | source_country =
source_elevation_imperial = 1965
source_lat_d = 38 | source_lat_m = 37 | source_lat_s = 50 | source_lat_NS = N
source_long_d = 123 | source_long_m = 7 | source_long_s = 48 | source_long_EW = W
source_coordinates_note =Gnis|218466|Austin Creek]
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mouth = Russian River
mouth_location = convert|1|mi|km|0|lk=on|abbr=on north of Duncans Mills, California
mouth_region = | mouth_country =
mouth_elevation_imperial = 23
mouth_elevation_note =
mouth_lat_d = 38 | mouth_lat_m = 28 | mouth_lat_s = 0 | mouth_lat_NS = N
mouth_long_d = 123 | mouth_long_m = 3 | mouth_long_s = 0 | mouth_long_EW = W
mouth_coordinates_note =
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Austin Creek is a southward-flowing stream in the mountains of western Sonoma County, California which empties into the Russian River about convert|4|mi|km|0|lk=on|abbr=on from the Pacific Ocean.

Course

The creek originates in an isolated area known as The Cedars, about convert|13|mi|km|-1|lk=on|abbr=on 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 and enters the Russian River about convert|1|mi|km|0|lk=on|abbr=on north of the town of Duncans Mills.

History

In the 1885-1886, the North Pacific Coast Railroad extended its narrow-gauge line up Austin Creek to transport lumber from Cazadero to points south.cite book
last=Hilton
first=George Woodman
title=American Narrow Gauge Railroads
year=1990
publisher=Stanford University Press
location=Stanford, California
isbn=0804717311
pages=p. 329] The railroad grade was later converted to road, becoming Cazadero Highway.cite web
url=http://oredazac.tripod.com/history.html
title=Cazadero History
accessdate=2008-09-01]

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. [cite web|url=http://www.krisweb.com/biblio/marinsonoma_cdfg_cox_2000_streamsofsonoma.pdf|year=2000|first=Bill|last=Cox|title=Major Streams in Sonoma County|accessdate=2007-12-04]

Bridges

Many bridges span Austin Creek. The longest of these is the State Route 116 bridge, which is convert|380|ft|m|0|lk=on|abbr=on long and was built in 1962.cite web|url=http://nationalbridges.com/|title=National Bridge Inventory Database]

References

ee also

* Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve
* Austin Creek State Recreation Area
* List of watercourses in the San Francisco Bay Area