Chollas Creek
Chollas Creek, also referred to as Las Chollas Creek, is an urban creek in San Diego County, California, United States that is 30 miles (48 km) long. The Chollas Creek's four branches begin in the cities of Lemon Grove and La Mesa and empties into the San Diego Bay at Barrio Logan. Bifurcating into two main forks, the creek may also be dry during the Southern California dry season. Multiple plant, animal, and aquatic wildlife species live in or around the creek, including the rare plants Juncus acutus leopoldii and Iva hayesiana, and the threatened Coastal California gnatcatcher.
| Chollas Creek Las Chollas Creek | |
|---|---|
The South fork of Chollas Creek, just west of 47th Street, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of San Diego. | |
| Native name | Matt Xtaat (Kumiai) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | San Diego Bay |
• location | (Just NW from the NW corner of Norman Scott Rd, San Diego, CA 92136 USA) |
• coordinates | 32°41′15.5″N 117°07′44.8″W |
• elevation | 0.0 feet (0.0 m) above sea level |
| Length | 30 miles (48 km) |
The creek has existed prior to 1500 BC and was used by the Kumeyaay tribe, who had a village by the creek. By 1841, the Kumeyaay village was no longer present. The creek has flooded numerous times, displacing nearby residents. Portions of the creek have been armored or channelized. A dam was constructed on a tributary in the early 20th century, forming Chollas Reservoir. This reservoir led the United States Navy to construct the Chollas Heights Navy Radio Station to the north.
The Chollas Creek valley has been described as "one of San Diego's most neglected watersheds." For decades, the creek has been impacted by pollution, illegal littering, and destruction of natural habitats. The pollution levels are high enough that it is considered an "impaired" water body by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Plans to renovate the creek into a regional park began in 2002 and were completed in 2021 by the City of San Diego.