A watershed is a land area that channels rainfall and snow-melt to creeks, streams, rivers, and eventually to outflow points such as bays and the ocean. On one side, you have watersheds like the Amazon River that drain over a third of the South American continent. On the other side, watersheds like the Presidio’s Tennessee Hollow that drain 270 acres, or roughly 20 percent of the 1,491-acre park. Watersheds are extremely complex ecosystems of rain, evaporation, drainage, flora, fauna, urban development, and hundreds of other forces. A healthy watershed is a well-balanced system capable of sustaining various environments and many forms of life. In an unhealthy watershed, the water movement becomes blocked and polluted, and, in turn, flora and fauna suffer.
The restoration of the Tennessee Hollow watershed is an amazing story of transforming an ecosystem back to a condition of health. The transformation required tremendous generosity from the San Francisco community, Presidio Trust, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
The restoration of the Tennessee Hollow watershed is an amazing story of transforming an ecosystem back to a condition of health. The transformation required tremendous generosity from the San Francisco community, Presidio Trust, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
In our 360 photo tour below, we trace the water flow through Tennessee Hollow watershed starting at the crest of the drainage divide (Inspiration Point) and then down the hill to El Polin Spring, through the wetlands, under the Thompson Reach bridge, across Quartermaster Reach, gently through Crissy Marsh, and then out to the bay at Crissy Beach.
Inspiration Point Overlook (The Crest Of The Drainage Divide)
El Polín Spring (The Heart Of The Watershed)
lovers’ lane bridge & macarthur meadow (a seasonal wetland)
thompson reach (the creek continues its journey to the bay)
crissy marsh (the watershed joins with the salty waters of the bay)
crissy beach (the destination of the watershed)
