One of my favorite maps of Hercules is the 1916 topographic map. Maybe it was the recent community meetings for the Refugio Creek Watershed Vision Plan that raised my interest, but I only just noticed the missing arm in the watershed system on this map, which as shown runs along the current Highway 4 under the I-80 overpass and along John Muir Parkway where it joins Refugio Creek (and Ohlone Creek) in the wetlands immediately adjacent to San Pablo Avenue (which did not exist at the time this map was published, and was built as part of the now-historic U.S. Route 40 the following decade).

During the Vision Plan meetings, there was some discussion of the “north fork” of Refugio Creek, but not a lot (which makes sense since it no longer “exists;” see note below). The north fork is now diverted southward across what will become Cinema Town (as part of New Town Center) in a buried concrete culvert, and meets with the buried portion of Refugio Creek downstream of Refugio Lake beneath the recently-decommissioned park-n-ride and future site of Market Town (as part of New Town Center).

Because of the scale of proposed construction at Market Town (commonly referred to simply as “New Town Center”), there will be a unique opportunity to daylight both creeks, or at least a portion of them, or in some way further define the connection from the upper reaches of Refugio Creek (the waters that drain into Refugio Lake in Refugio Valley Park) to the lower reaches in the Waterfront (the wetlands that drain to San Pablo Bay), the creek’s cultural corridor.

Note: The visible portion of the north fork (or tributary) defines the northern boundary of the planned New Town Center on the east side of I-80. There are additional opportunities to daylight a significant portion of the buried creek during construction of this project as well.