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Wetlands

A riparian habitat at Coyote Lake - Harvey Bear Ranch County Park
A riparian habitat at Coyote Lake - Harvey Bear Ranch County Park

Riparian

Parks: Coyote Creek Parkway, Coyote Canyon, Calero County Park, Anderson County Park, Vasona County Park (Los Gatos Creek Trail), Uvas Canyon, Stevens Creek, Sanborn County Park. 

Riparian, or wetland, plant communities are home to many species of wildlife who depend entirely on this habitat for survival. Typically, over 90% of the bird and mammal species occur only in the riparian habitat. Riparian habitats provide dense thickets of mugwort, California blackberry, and rushes under an overstory of arroyo willows and red willows which provide cover and shelter for small animals. At the State level, riparian plant communities are considered sensitive and have been identified by the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) as a habitat of special concern. 

The Coyote Creek corridor located in the Coyote Creek Parkway is of regional significance as the longest publicly owned continuous riparian landscape in the Bay Area. The landscape resources of the Parkway play a fundamental role in the experiential enjoyment, education, and inspiration of its visitors as well as the quality of life for all residents in the County while protecting this sensitive habitat, allowing native species to survive and thrive.

Sycamore alluvial woodlands

Parks: Coyote Creek Parkway, Vasona County Park, Hellyer County Park, Anderson County Park, Stevens Creek County Park 

Sycamore Alluvial Woodlands
Sycamore alluvial woodlands at Coyote Creek Parkway

Sycamore alluvial woodland (SAW) is a habitat type dominated by the California sycamore and is found in valley floors having alluvial sediment, or ground dominated by clay, silt, sand, and gravel. Alluvial sediment is typically found in streambeds or floodplains, so this habitat is often associated with streams or periodic flooding. SAW is a home to many vulnerable wildlife species, including western pond turtles and steelhead trout. The size of California sycamores and the large amount of dead wood and branches they produce provides nesting and roosting habitat and seed and insect food sources for a variety of California bird species.

In California, SAW habitat is relatively rare. The distribution and regeneration of SAW has been greatly limited by the loss of areas dominated by alluvial sediment over the past 200 year. This habitat loss is the result of landscape changes due to dams and the removal of floodplains from the influence of regular flooding. Grazing, vegetation management, and other land use changes such as road encroachments and habitat conversion have further altered conditions that support SAW. As a result, SAW habitats has been mapped in just 17 areas along intermittent streams in California totaling approximately 2,000 acres out of California’s 104 million acres. Thus, conservation and restoration of this habitat type is a priority for many regions.