Wetland Profile: Pennington Creek

Published 10/30/2004

LOCATION

County

San Luis Obispo

USGS Quadrangle

San Luis Obispo

Descriptive Location

Pennington Creek drains into Chorro Creek.

Longitude & Latitude

-120°45'06" W, +35°19'33" N

Wetland Complex

Chorro Creek

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OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT & LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Management
Management Authorities	Source
Cal Dept of Forestry	2
California State University	3
Pennington Creek Biological Reserve	4, 5

Local Interest Groups
Group Name	Website	Source
El Chorro Regional Park and Golf Course		1
Rancho El Chorro Outdoor School		1

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LAND USE

On Site Use	Source
Open Space	5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Recreation	5, 6

Historic On Site Use	Source
Agriculture	5, 6, 7, 9, 10
Open Space	5, 7, 8, 9
Public Facilities	6

Adjacent Use	Source
Agriculture	6, 11
Open Space	6, 7, 9, 11
Public Facilities	6, 8, 11
Recreation	6

Historic Adjacent Use	Source
Agriculture	6, 7, 10, 11
Open Space	7, 8, 9, 11
Public Facilities	6, 11
Recreation	6

Comments
Comments	Source
Cattle grazing	10
Adjacent historic use=grazing	6

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HYDROLOGY

Tributary Influence
Tributary Influence	Influence	Gaging Station	Source
2 springs			5
Intermittent Stream 1			3
Intermittent Stream 2			3
Intermittent Stream 3			3
Intermittent Stream 4			3
Intermittent streams 1-5			11
Pennignton Creek Central	17.9 cfs		12
Pennignton Creek South	11.5 cfs		12
Pennington Creek North	13.4 cfs		12
Spring 1			8
Spring 2			8
Spring 3 Headwaters			11

Wetland Alterations
Alterations	Comments	Contribution / Removal Amount	Date	Source
Flow Obstructions	Bridge, Highway 1			11
Flow Obstructions	Culvert, Highway 1			10
Non-point Source	Agriculture			7, 11
Non-point Source	Agriculture & Urban Runoff			6
Other	Underground water line			3

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WATER QUALITY

Monitoring Programs
Program Name	Parameters	Comments	Website	Source
Snapshot Day	Numerous	At Rancho El Chorro Outdoor School; 2002-2004	http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ snapshot/snapshot1.html	14
MBNEP Volunteer Monitoring Program	Numerous	Rancho El Chorro	http://www.mbnep.org/volunt.htm	15

Water Quality Data
Parameter	Duration	Comments	Source
Dissolved Oxygen	August 7-13, 1992		11
Dissolved Oxygen	February 19, February 22, March 11, 1992	At School Administration Road	13
Flow Rate	August 7-13, 1992		11
Nutrients	August 7-13, 1992	Nitrate, Nitrite, Phosphate	11
Nutrients	February 19, February 22, March 11, 1992	At School Administration Road	13
Nutrients	February 1956, March 1993		6
Pool Depth	August 7-13, 1992		11
Salinity	February 1956, March 1993		6
Soil loss			12
Temperature	August 7-13, 1992		11
Turbidity	August 7-13, 1992		11
Turbidity	February 19, February 22, March 11, 1992	At School Administration Road	13
pH	August 7-13, 1992		11
pH	February 19, February 22, March 11, 1992	At School Administration Road	13
pH	February 1956, March 1993		6

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SOILS

NRCS SSURGO Soil	Source
SALINAS LOAM, 0-2	16

Comments	Source
Serpentine	8
Serpentine + shale	5
Serpentine/gravel creek beds	16

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VEGETATION

Special Status Plants
Common Name	Scientific Name	Federal	State	Source
Chorro Creek bog thistle	Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense	Endangered	Endangered	9

Non Native Plants The Non-native plant list is not intended to be a representative list of all plants found in the wetland. To learn more about all plants found in the wetland, including natives, please refer to the lists documented in the Vegetation Comments section.
Common Name	Scientific Name	Source
Black mustard	Brassica nigra	12
Bull thistle	Cirsium vulgare	12
Oats	Avena spp.	8
Red brome	Bromus madritensis ssp rubens	12

Vegetation Comments
Comments	Source
Grassland, Oak Woodland, Chaparral, and Riparian plant lists	2
Plant communities described	4
Plant list	5, 6
Vegetation list and map	8
Vegetative cover	7

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ANIMALS

Special Status Animals
Common Name	Scientific Name	Federal	State	Source
California red-legged frog	Rana aurora draytonii	Threatened	None	6, 12
Monarch butterfly	Danaus plexippus	None	None	6, 12
Steelhead-central California coast esu	Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus	Threatened	None	7

Non Native Animals
Common Name	Scientific Name	Source
Bullfrog	Rana catesbeiana	12
European starling	Sturnus vulgaris	12
Wild turkey	None	8

Animal Comments
Comments	Source
Deer, Quail, Squirrels, Turkey discussed	8

Amphibian Sources

6

Bird Sources

6

Insect Sources

11

Mammal Sources

6

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WETLAND IMPACTING ACTIVITIES

In the Wetland
Activity	Source
Active/Severe riparian erosion	6
Grazing	5, 7, 9, 10, 11
Mining	5
Non-native plant invasion	8
Recreation (other)	17
Road construction	3, 9, 11
Wastewater treatment	11

Adjacent to the Wetland
Activity	Source
Agriculture	11
Fertilizer application	6, 11
Grazing	7, 10, 11
Hiking	6
Non-native plant invasion	6, 8
Pesticide Application/Mosquito Control	6, 11
Recreation (other)	17
Road construction	3, 11
Wastewater treatment	11

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SOURCES

Source	Author(s)	Year Published	Document Name
1	Morro Bay National Estuary Program	2004	Personal Communication
2	Gardner, Scott C.	1991	Computer mapping and master species list of vegetation communities Rancho El Chorro environmental education campus, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
3	Stechman, John V.	1988	Agricultural map, California Polytechnic State University
4	Delameter, Richard	1969	A survey of Collembola from the Pennington Creek Biological Reserve.
5	Blackmer, Penelope	1973	Flora of the southwest corner of the Pennington Creek biological reserve.
6	Envicom Corporation	1994	Final Environmental Impact Report - El Chorro Golf Course
7	Patterson, Kevin D.	1993	Dairy Creek stream quality: a base-line study for the evaluation of the El Chorro Regional Park cattle exclusion plan.
8	Sandborn, Ralph E.	1973	Habitat preferences and population estimates of the game species on the Pennington Creek Biology Reserve.
9	Courtney, James	1981	Plant communities at Pennington Creek biological reserve.
10	Moore, Rodney R.	1962	A hydrological study of the Pennington Creek watershed.
11	Pratt, Don	1993	Pennington Creek water quality analysis
12	Envicom Corporation	1993	El Chorro Regional Park Proposed Golf Course, Environmental Constraints Analysis
13	Brecheisen, Vicki	1992	Survey of Osos and Chorro Creeks with empasis on nitrate and phosphate concentration and their effect on Morro Bay and groundwater quality.
14	Snapshot Day	None	None
15	Morro Bay National Estuary Program	2004	Morro Bay National Estuary Program Volunteer Monitoring Program
16	Rienecker, Erich	1991	Control plan for Hoary Cress(Cardaria draba L.) in the Chorro Creek Delta, Morro Bay State Park, Calif.
17	David Wolff Environmental	2004	Personal Communication

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