Monumental Questions - What are the Major Watersheds in Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument
Nate Lillge • December 29, 2022
Overlooking Lake Berryessa, part of the Putah Creek Watershed
There are three major watersheds that are included in Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument – Cache Creek, Putah Creek, and the Eel River. Cache Creek and Putah Creek drain to the east toward the Sacramento River while the Eel River flows to the Pacific Ocean.
The Eel River is the largest of these watersheds at over 3,900 square miles. The headwaters are in Snow Mountain Wilderness and drains the north and west portion of the monument. The river and its tributaries flow through Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity Counties.
Cache Creek’s headwaters are on Goat Mountain in Snow Mountain Wilderness. This river flows to the east and carries the water from many small tributaries and the water flowing from Clear Lake. This 1,300 square mile watershed flows through Lake, Colusa, and Yolo Counties before entering the settling basin east of Woodland.
The 71 square mile watershed of Putah Creek includes portions of Lake, Napa, Solano, and Yolo Counties. Lake Berryessa is the most notable feature of this watershed. The upper end of this watershed is Cobb Mountain and water flows through Putah Creek to the settling basin east of Davis.
Other watersheds in the area are the Stony Creek, Russian River, Napa River, and Suisun Creek Watersheds. All of these watersheds are impacted in some way by the activities in Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument - illustrating the connectivity of landscapes and habitats.
-Nate Lillge (nlillge@tuleyome.org)
Tuleyome Adventures and Engagement Director
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