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Putah Creek

Former Native American populated places in CaliforniaGeography of the Sacramento ValleyMayacamas MountainsRivers of Lake County, CaliforniaRivers of Napa County, California
Rivers of Northern CaliforniaTributaries of the Sacramento RiverVaca MountainsWinters, California
Putah Creek April 2018 Crystal flats
Putah Creek April 2018 Crystal flats

Putah Creek (Patwin: Liwaito) is a major stream in Northern California, a tributary of the Yolo Bypass, and ultimately, the Sacramento River. The 85-mile-long (137 km) creek has its headwaters in the Mayacamas Mountains, a part of the Coast Range, and flows east through two dams. First, Monticello Dam forms Lake Berryessa, below which Putah Creek forms the border of Yolo and Solano Counties, and then flows to the Putah Diversion Dam and Lake Solano. After several drought years in the late 1980s, the majority of Putah Creek went dry, prompting a landmark lawsuit that resulted in the signing of the Putah Creek Accord in 2000. The Accord established releases from the dams to maintain stream flows in Putah Creek, with natural flow regimes which spike in winter/spring and ebb in summer/fall. The restoration of natural flow regimes has resulted in a doubling of riparian bird species and a return of spawning native steelhead trout and Chinook salmon, as well as protecting the livelihood of farmers on the lower watershed.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Putah Creek (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 38.515555555556 ° E -121.58888888889 °
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Address

Yolo County (Yolo)



California, United States
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Putah Creek April 2018 Crystal flats
Putah Creek April 2018 Crystal flats
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Nearby Places

Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area

The Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area is a 3,700 acres (15 km2) wetland restoration project conducted by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and Ducks Unlimited within the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area located in the Yolo Bypass in Yolo County, California, between the cities of Sacramento and Davis. The Yolo Causeway, part of Interstate 80, runs through it. The restoration was named for Congressman Vic Fazio, who lobbied for the project and was instrumental in appropriating funds for the initial construction. The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area was dedicated in 1997 by President Bill Clinton. The facility is managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife while the educational programs and public tours are administered by the Yolo Basin Foundation, which works to educate and inform the public. In 2001, the Wildlife Area expanded to over 16,000 acres (65 km2) through the acquisition of the Glide and Los Rios properties. Since this time, extensive wetland enhancement and restoration projects have proceeded rapidly. The Department of Fish and Wildlife has incorporated agriculture into the management of the property to generate operating income and to provide wildlife habitat. The floodplain that makes up the Yolo Bypass receives water from the Sacramento River and provides an Important Bird Area of the Pacific Flyway for an impressive variety of waterfowl. Unless the area is impassable due to normal seasonal flooding, a dirt and gravel road is open to the public for driving and walking tours, and a docent-led tour is given once per month. It is one of the sites recommended by California's Department of Fish and Wildlife for wildlife viewing.