Crows Landing, California

NASA Crows Landing Airport (IATA: NRC, ICAO: KNRC, FAA LID: NRC) is a private use airport owned by the NASA Ames Research Center, 1 nautical mile (1.9 km; 1.2 mi) northwest of the central business district of Crows Landing, in Stanislaus County, California, United States. The airfield was formerly named Naval Auxiliary Landing Field Crows Landing or NALF Crows Landing when operated by the U.S. Navy. In January 2011, Airport-data.com reported the airport status as closed permanently. In March 2022, Stanislaus County announced the former airfield would be redeveloped into a business park. In late 1942, the Crows Landing airfield was operated as an auxiliary air station to Naval Air Station, Alameda, and was used to train Navy fighter pilots. Pilots of F4F Wildcats, TBF and TBM Avengers trained here first in Link and Panoramic trainers, then eventually in actual planes. Later, pilots in R4D Skytrains and R5D Skymasters (Navy versions of the Army's C-47 and C-54) trained here. After the war the station was placed in caretaker status. By the year 2000, the Navy had completed an EPA cleanup project and transferred most of the facilities to Stanislaus County with plans to convert it into a business park. As of 2013, the County (with NASA partners) had cleared all of the abandoned and decaying building structures save for the historic control tower. During 1956 and 1957 this base trained pilots from Moffett Field to land on carriers. They also trained pilots in the use of TACAN for navigation.

Little Salado Creek, originally Arroyita Salado (Little Salt Creek) is a tributary of the San Joaquin River draining eastern slopes of part of the Diablo Range within the Central Valley of California, United States. The Creek ends before it reaches the San Joaquin River, south of Patterson in Stanislaus County. Arroyita Salado was a watering place on El Camino Viejo in the San Joaquin Valley and provided water for Rancho Del Puerto.

Salado Creek ( sə-LAH-doh) is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in western Stanislaus County, California, on the edge of the Central Valley southwest of the town of Patterson. The wine appellation was established on June 24, 2004, as the nation's 169th, the state's 91st and county's second AVA by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Stan Grant, Vineyard Consultant of Progressive Viticulture in Turlock, California, on behalf of Fred Vogel of the Sunflower Ranch Company in Patterson, California, proposing a viticultural area named "Salado Creek." At the outset, the 2,940-acre (5 sq mi) viticultural area had 44 acres (18 ha) under vine situated around Salado Creek and the Little Salado Creek at the base of the Diablo Range. Most of the grapes were processed by KitFox Vineyards, using all custom-crush facility in Lodi. The plant hardiness zone is 9b. Currently, the AVA mostly consists of small grapegrowers sourcing contract wineries outside the area making vintages under a handful of labels.

Timba (Yokuts: Orestimba, meaning "meeting place") is a small unincorporated town in Stanislaus County, California, United States, about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Newman. Timba is located at 37°20′34″N 121°01′52″W.

Rancho Del Puerto was a 13,340-acre (54.0 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day Stanislaus County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Mariano and Pedro Hernández. The grant extended east of the present-day Highway 33 to the San Joaquin River. The northern boundary was Del Puerto Creek and the southern boundary was just south of Marshall Road, and encompassed present-day Patterson.

Patterson is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States, located off Interstate 5. It is 27 miles (43 km) southeast of Tracy and is part of the Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Area. Patterson is known as the "Apricot Capital of the World"; and holds an annual Apricot Fiesta to celebrate with many drinks, food, desserts and games. The population was 23,781 at the 2020 Census.

Patterson High School is located in the town of Patterson in Stanislaus County, California. It is in the Patterson Joint Unified School District. The school is known for the Aztec Calendar mural on the library wall painted by Circulo de Hombres. It is 12 feet (3.7 m) in diameter like the real Aztec calendars.

Newman is a city in Stanislaus County, California, located in the San Joaquin Valley region of the greater Central Valley. The city had a population of 10,224 at the 2010 census, up from 7,093 at the 2000 census. Founded in 1888 by Simon Newman, the city is a largely agricultural community, known for its annual Fall Festival.

Salado Creek, originally Arroyo Salado Grande (Big Salt Creek) is a tributary of the San Joaquin River draining eastern slopes of part of the Diablo Range within the Central Valley of California, United States. The Creek ends before it reaches the San Joaquin River, north of Patterson in Stanislaus County.

Hills Ferry was a small unincorporated community of the northern San Joaquin Valley in Stanislaus County, California. Hills Ferry was located at 37°20′56″N 120°58′47″W, on the southern border of Stanislaus County with Merced County, 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of the city of Newman. Hills Ferry is just west of the river mouth of the Merced River, at its confluence with the San Joaquin River.

Rancho Orestimba y Las Garzas (Meetingplace and the Herons) was a 26,668-acre (107.92 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day Stanislaus County and Merced County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Sebastián Núñez. The grant was originally in a part of Tuolumne County that became part of Stanislaus County in 1854, and was located west of the San Joaquin River and south of Rancho Del Puerto, and encompassed present-day Newman. Arroyo Orestimba lay across the northern section of the Rancho Orestimba with Arroyo de las Garzas across the southern end of the Rancho.

The Merced River (; Spanish: Río Merced, meaning "Mercy River") is a 145-mile (233 km)-long tributary of the San Joaquin River in central California, United States. It flows from the Sierra Nevada into the San Joaquin Valley and is best known for its steep course through the southern part of Yosemite National Park, where it is the primary watercourse in Yosemite Valley. Below the mountains, the river's character changes as it becomes a slow meandering stream across the agricultural San Joaquin Valley. The river began to take shape as the Sierra Nevada rose about 10 million years ago, and sediment eroded from its canyon helped form the flat floor of the San Joaquin Valley. Glaciation during the ice ages carved the high-elevation portions of the watershed, including Yosemite Valley, into their present form. Historically, an extensive riparian zone provided habitat for millions of migrating birds, and the river supported one of the southernmost runs of chinook salmon in North America. Miwok and Paiute people lived along the river for thousands of years before Spanish and Mexican military expeditions passed through in the early 19th century. The California Gold Rush brought settlers to towns along the lower Merced River. The Yosemite Valley Railroad was built along the Merced River canyon, enabling mining and logging in the upper watershed and later carrying tourists to Yosemite National Park. Conflicts between settlers and Native Americans led to the expulsion of the Ahwahnechee from Yosemite. Large-scale irrigation was introduced to the San Joaquin Valley in the late 19th century, leading to construction of numerous dams that blocked migrating salmon and caused steep declines in riparian habitat. Diversion of water for irrigation often reduces the river to a small stream by the time it reaches its mouth. Mitigation efforts include habitat conservation work, re-establishment of historic streamflow patterns, and operation of a salmon hatchery.