Our Watershed

What is a watershed?

A watershed is the area of land drained by a specific creek or river. The Sausal Creek Watershed covers 2,600 acres (roughly 2,600 football fields) stretching from the Oakland hills to the Bay. All of the rain and runoff from that land drains into Sausal Creek.

Sausal Creek is one of Oakland’s nine major creeks. It starts out up in the Oakland hills near the Chabot Space and Science Center as several small creeks. These tributaries flow together near the top of Diamond Park and Highway 13 where the creek begins to be known officially as Sausal Creek. It flows through the Dimond, Fruitvale, and Jingletown neighborhoods where it ends in the Oakland estuary by the Fruitvale Avenue Bridge. 

Where can I see the creek?

Look on the map to find the creek near your home or school. The dotted line shows where the creek goes underground. You can’t see it in these places, but you can find it by looking for the line of trees that go all the way from Dimond Park down past Foothill Blvd.

How can I help protect the watershed?

It’s important to keep the creek and its watershed free of pollution, because there are fish, plants, insects, and animals that depend on the creek to stay healthy. Trash or pollutants that go into a storm drain go right into the creek.