Sonoma Creek is the main drainage of the Sonoma Valley. In its lower reaches, Sonoma Creek passes through the urbanized area of the Sonoma Valley. Creekside development includes residential areas (homes, apartments, condominiums, and trailer parks) and commercial uses (retail, warehouses, landscape materials), interspersed with recreational, agricultural, and vacant areas. <br> The Sonoma Valley is rich in archaeological sites and is considered one of the richest archaeological areas in California. Coastal Miwok Indians on the west and the Wintum on the east influenced the valley. They are said to have arrived at least 10,000 years before present (Nardo-Morgan 1997), and there is evidence of their establishment no less than 6,000 BP (SSCRCD 1997). There is an Indian archaeological site, comprised of shell middens, on the east bank of Sonoma Creek upstream from the state Hwy 121 Bridge (USACE 1972) that is believed to have given the town of Schellville its name (USACE, 1972). On the other hand, DFG (1977) suggest that the town’s name was derived from a local landowner named F.A. Schell. This is an example of the difficulty associated with historical research and shows how it is very necessary to go to primary accounts and cross-reference many sources before one can be certain of a particular event in space and time.<br> Many of the numerous historical sites of interest in the Sonoma Creek watershed, are in the area downstream of Schellville. For example, the Embarcadero landing near Schellville is one of many historic landing sites where people and produce of the prospering 19th century county embarked or unloaded to and from San Francisco. Other landing sites included Essex, Norfolk (Valley Road), Poppes, Stofen, and St. Louis (all predating the 1880’s) (Emanuals and Emanuals 1998). Wingo Railway Bridge (dated 1879) is another site of potential preservation importance (Emanuals and Emanuals 1998). Several adobe buildings constructed in the period of 1825-1850 stand in the Sonoma area, including church buildings and homes constructed by the Vallejo brothers (USACE 1972).