2015 Map of Briones Valley

About this map

Briones Reservoir and San Pablo Reservoir dominate this 2015 study of the East Bay hills, where protected open space and suburban expansion meet. The map reveals the intricate infrastructure required for this Mediterranean landscape, including the Mokelumne Aqueduct and the Lafayette Water Tunnel. In the northeast corner, the legacy of American conservation is anchored at the John Muir National Historic Site near Martinez, while the southwest corner transitions into the urban edge of Berkeley and Orinda. The terrain is characterized by a series of northwest-trending ridges like Pinole Ridge and Oursan Ridge, punctuated by small settlements and academic outposts like John F Kennedy Univ. Smaller, likely older place names such as Christie and Glen Frazer hint at early rail or ranching points along the canyon bottoms that predate the modern residential corridors of Lafayette.