View source for Baxter Creek

{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox river
| name               = Baxter Creek
| name_native        = 
| name_native_lang   = 
| name_other         = Stege Creek
| name_etymology     = 
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image              = Arroyobaxter.jpg
| image_caption      = The Northern terminus of the [[Ohlone Greenway]] trail at Baxter Creek Gateway Park, 1980
| image_size         = 300
| map                = 
| map_size           = 
| map_caption        = 
| pushpin_map        = USA California
| pushpin_map_size   = 300
| pushpin_map_caption= Location of the mouth of Baxter Creek in California
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type2  = State
| subdivision_name2  = [[California]]
| subdivision_type3  = Region
| subdivision_name3  = [[Contra Costa County, California|Contra Costa County]]
| subdivision_type4  = 
| subdivision_name4  = 
| subdivision_type5  = City
| subdivision_name5  = [[Richmond, California|Richmond]], [[El Cerrito, Contra Costa County, California|El Cerrito]]
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
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<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1            = The Presidio
| source1_location   = Berkeley Hills
| source1_coordinates= 
| source1_elevation  = 
| mouth              = [[Stege Marsh]], [[San Francisco Bay]]
| mouth_location     = [[Richmond, California]]
| mouth_coordinates  = 
| mouth_elevation    = {{convert|0|ft|abbr=on}}
| progression        = 
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}}

'''Baxter Creek'''  or '''Stege Creek'''<ref name="creekhist">[http://www.creativedifferences.com/baxtercreek/creekhistory.html Creek History] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061207063515/http://www.creativedifferences.com/baxtercreek/creekhistory.html |date=December 7, 2006 }}, CreativeDifferences.com, retrieved August 15, 2007</ref> (also archaically '''Bishop Creek'''<ref name="creekhist"/>), is a three-branch creek in [[Richmond, California|Richmond]] and [[El Cerrito, Contra Costa County, California|El Cerrito]], [[California]], United States, forming the Baxter Creek watershed. The creek has three sources and flows from the [[Berkeley Hills]] to [[Stege Marsh]] and the [[San Francisco Bay]]. The Baxter Creek watershed at-large has 10 sources.<ref>[http://www.museumca.org/creeks/1100-TopoBaxter-Fluvius1995.html Baxter Creek - Fluvius Innominatus Topo, 1995<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

The creek has been largely culverted over the years since the [[Rancho San Pablo]] and the subdivided [[Bishop Ranch]], then known as Bishop Creek, were urbanized. Residents missed the creek when it disappeared under the asphalt and formed Friends of Baxter Creek. This group has aided in the restoration of several portions of the creek. Baxter Creek Park, Poinsett Park, and Booker T. Anderson Park are now in a more natural riparian condition, though the Anderson Park portion has been plagued by litter and shopping carts. 
<ref>[http://repositories.cdlib.org/wrca/restoration/bronner/ Post-Project Appraisal of Baxter Creek at Booker T. Anderson Park : Shopping Carts - The New Boulders<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/states/california/contra_costa_county/el_cerrito/15637818.htm Baxter Creek bash Saturday] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311010305/http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/states/california/contra_costa_county/el_cerrito/15637818.htm |date=2007-03-11 }} Justin Hill</ref>

The [[Ohlone Greenway]] bicycle and pedestrian path has its northern terminus at Baxter Creek Gateway Park, located just north of where the BART tracks cross over [[San Pablo Avenue]] in Richmond.

The origins of the name Baxter Creek is unknown, but historians believe it to be from a family which once owned land in the area. Stege is from [[Richard Stege]] and Bishop comes from [[Thomas Bishop (California)|Thomas Bishop]], who once owned large tracts of land in the area.<ref>[http://www.creativedifferences.com/baxtercreek/FAQ.html FAQ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928080822/http://www.creativedifferences.com/baxtercreek/FAQ.html |date=September 28, 2007 }}, Friends of Baxter Creek website, retrieved August 15, 2007</ref>

Much of the streamside vegetation that had been restored to [[Booker T. Anderson Park]] was chainsawed away and leveled due to concerns that the riparian habitat hid muggings, drug dealings, and [[public sex]] from police patrols.<ref>[http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2009-02-19/article/32287 Green Neighbords: The Richmond chainsaw massacre part one]. Ron Sullivan. ''[[Berkeley Daily Planet]]''. 18-09-2009. Retrieved 28-01-2011.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Cerrito Creek]]
* [[List of watercourses in the San Francisco Bay Area]] 
* [[Richmond Greenway]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Baxter Creek}}
{{Externalimage
|float=right
|width=300px
|image1=[http://www.creativedifferences.com/baxtercreek/pa11.JPG Baxter Creek and Stege Marsh]
}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061008123944/http://www.creativedifferences.com/baxtercreek/ Friends of Baxter Creek]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061207063515/http://www.creativedifferences.com/baxtercreek/creekhistory.html Creek History]
* [https://archive.today/20121210105459/http://www.ice.ucdavis.edu/nrpi/NRPIDescription.asp?ProjectPK=5611 UC Davis/Baxter Creek]
* [http://www.museumca.org/creeks/1100-RescBaxter.html Guide to San Francisco Bay Area Creeks -- Baxter Creek]
** [http://www.museumca.org/creeks/1100-OMBaxter.html map 1]
** [http://www.museumca.org/creeks/1100-TopoBaxter-Schoolhouse1899.html map 2] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070218220336/http://www.museumca.org/creeks/1100-TopoBaxter-Schoolhouse1899.html |date=2007-02-18 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070311110046/http://gis.ca.gov/catalog/BrowseRecord.epl?id=30225 Baxter Creek at the State of California]

{{Bodies of water in Richmond, California}}

{{coord|37.90856|N|122.33034|W|type:river_region:US-CA|display=title}}

{{Clear}}

[[Category:Rivers of Contra Costa County, California]]
[[Category:Berkeley Hills]]
[[Category:Bodies of water of Richmond, California]]
[[Category:Tributaries of San Francisco Bay]]
[[Category:Rivers of Northern California]]