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Sulphur (Springs) Creek

Posted by pussreboots on 27 December 2025 in English.

Today while looking at the hand drawn parcel maps that the county provides I learned the creek that runs through my neighborhood has changed it’s name. On the maps it’s called Sulphur Spring Creek. On all the other maps I’ve seen, road signs, and from what we locals call it, it’s just Sulphur Creek. There’s even a nature center / animal rescue that is named for the creek. They don’t use the spring in their name either.

OK… after getting the comment re sulfurous springs, I did some digging. I haven’t found any historic proof of the claim in this article from last year, but …

“Nestled in the Hayward hills, the Sulphur Creek Nature Center is home to dozens of birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals, including a coyote and a fox. The site straddles a small section of Sulphur Creek, named after the sulphur water bubbling up from nearby springs. In 1970, H.A.R.D. acquired the property, then a wellness retreat, and transformed it into the animal sanctuary it is today.”

The “spring” part of the creek is shown to be at the current location of the nature center. The other creeks that feed into it have been conflated into all being “Sulphur Creek” I suppose.

https://tricityvoice.com/sulphur-creek-nature-center-completes-renovation/

Location: Fairview, Alameda County, California, 94542, United States

Discussion

Comment from Wey2go on 27 December 2025 at 20:30

From Iceland’s Geysir (the original thing!) it’s clear nearly all creeks/streams that have sulphur start with a sulpherous spring. So that old adage: brevity has a beauty all of its own seems to be at play here. I guess most people would work out sulphur doesn’t outcrop high above ground in wet environments, has to come from deep down, guess so and hope so!

Comment from pussreboots on 27 December 2025 at 21:59

Sulphur Creek here is an actual above ground creek that is mostly rain run off (when it rains) but it’s wet enough year round to have frogs in the summer. We’re not in an area with sulpherous springs. I honestly don’t know the reason for the odd choice of name for the creeks.

Comment from chris_debian on 27 December 2025 at 23:43

Perhaps add this tag, to show the previously used name?

osm.wiki/Key:old_name

Chris

Comment from pussreboots on 28 December 2025 at 01:13

Good suggestion. Right now I’m going to leave it as is. I would have to go through all the old county maps and that will be easier once the buildings and other present day features are mapped.

Comment from chris_debian on 28 December 2025 at 10:30

Cool, have fun. Don’t forget the quick and easy updates that you can do, using the StreetComplete smartphone app.

https://streetcomplete.app/

Chris

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