Opening up the historic spawning grounds within the Pescadero watershed
“From saving redwoods almost a century ago to saving salmon and steelhead today, Memorial Park is a special place in the history of conservation.” –Marlene Finley, San Mateo County Parks Director There are 20 parks and over 190 miles of local and regional trails in the San Mateo County Park system we all know and love today. But it all started with one: Memorial County Park, protected and dedicated in 1924, and named in honor of San Mateo County residents who died in the line of duty during World War I. It was a prescient move to save these old-growth redwoods from the lumber mill and preserve them as a park. Memorial County Park has been a popular spot for hiking and camping for nearly a century, offering a peaceful respite from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Now, efforts are focused on saving endangered and threatened species that have long called the park, and the creeks within it, home. Pescadero Creek, with its sources in the Santa Cruz Mountains, flows through Memorial Park before draining an 80 square mile watershed into Pescadero Marsh and the Pacific Ocean. Historically, there was an abundance of coho salmon and steelhead trout…