Local Physical Geography – Dublin, CA

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Local Physical Geography – Dublin, CA
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Local Physical Geography – Dublin, CA
Dublin relates to a suburban city located in the East Bay region of Alameda County in California in the United States named after Dublin and Ireland city. The city has for a long time gained recognition for its location gaining reference as the Crossroads of the Bay Area with its current position at the crossroads of Interstate 580 as well as Interstate 680, two major highways (California Government, 2014). The significance of the crossroads that depict the location of Dublin has a long history in that it goes back to over 200 years when the city was a crossroads of the route from Martinez to San Jose and one from Bay Area to Stockholm. Since its establishment more than 200 years ago, Dublin has received tremendous growth and development because it serves as the second-fastest growing city in California State.
The history of Dublin is traceable back to 1772 a time when Pedro Fages was the leader of a 16 mounted men expedition that focused on searching land while coming from Drake’s day referred to as San Francisco Bay in the modern day(California Government, 2014). The men realized the Amador Valley and to Dublin. Despite the settlers identifying Dublin as an area with fertile land for agricultural purposes, it was until at around 1835 when building and settlement began in the region. Jose Maria Amada received payment in the form of land after serving for a number of years as a Mexican soldier as well as Mission San Jose’s administrator. The land grant given to Amador totaled 16,517 acres in the Amador-Livermore Valley where he constructed various adobe homes as well as small buildings used as shops where products made by Indian workers supported his ranch(California Government, 2014). In 1850, Jeremiah Fallon and Michael Murray were attracted by the fertile agricultural lands and favorable agricultural climate prompting them to relocate from Ireland and purchase 1,000 acres of land from Amador where they began constructing homes for their families. Eventually, many people began settling in the area for agricultural and trade purposes prompting the growth of Dublin.
The Tri-Valley area serves as one of the most notable geographical features in Dublin as a quantifiable part of the valley touches Dublin. It is as a result of the three valleys that the regions boarding them enjoy a Mediterranean climate. Due to the Tri-Valley, Dublin Hills Regional Park serves as the most defining geographical feature of the region. The park spans around 654 acres within an open space corridor that is undeveloped comprising of the main ridge connecting Donlon Point at the southern boundary of the park to Wiedemann Hill that is located on adjacent private property at the north region that is interspersed with steep-sloped canons (East Bay Parks, 2015). Interstate 580 bounds the parkland to the south with the Schaefer Ranch bordering it to the southwest while a private grazing land bounds it to the north, northeast as well as Northwest with California Highlands bounding the park to the southeast. The significant part of Dublin Hills geology comprise of sandstone, shale as well as the conglomerate. The conglomerate and sandstone units serve in forming the knolls and ridges with softer shale forming the slopes and valleys (East Bay Parks, 2015). The Cooper’s hawk is one of the most attracting species that live in the area with other birds comprising of the red-tailed hawk, California horned lack, white-tailed kite, and great-horned owl among others. The Dublin Hill equally possesses other attractive features like various seasonal streams and springs that serve as crucial sources of water for wildlife while equally providing additional habitat for amphibians.
Considered as the second-fastest growing state in California State only behind Santa Clara, it serves as an indication that human settlement has significantly increased since the establishment of the area as a settlement region. Despite the City of Dublin proving small in respect to the area of acreage, the 2010 census revealed that the population was 46,063 with 2013 estimates attributing the population at around 49,890 (Almquist, 2013). The increased estimates three years since the census serves as an indication that the population continues to grow and its impact is already felt. One hazard associated with increased human population and consequent human activities in Dublin as well as other parts of California State is the current drought that has affected the region for a consecutive number of years. Other than the threat of droughts that result from wastage of water through agricultural practices, there are estimates of the possibility of Dublin suffering from a geologic hazard. A geologic hazard entails an actual or threatened landslide, soil erosion, earthquake, and land subsidence as well as fault movement together with any other unnatural movement of the earth. In order to curb these hazards, the Californian State government has embarked on measures that cut water consumption levels and also established A Geologic Hazard Abatement District that serves in financing the prevention, mitigation as well as control of possible geologic hazards (California Government, 2016).
It is without a doubt that the future of Dublin is under threat due to increase in human settlement. As estimates reveal, the population in the region will continue to rise in the current and near future. As a result of a population increase, it signifies that humans will continue to exert pressure on the physical environment (Reid, 2014). That serves as an indication that actions like clearing of natural vegetation in order to accommodate humans may eventually see the destruction of important features like the Dublin Hills Regional Park. The current drought crisis experienced in California is already a notable example of the possible threat that the future of Dublin may experience. As human population increases, air, water, and land pollution are common especially in situations of overpopulation. Initially, most of the area occupied by humans was used for agricultural practices; the trend is currently changing with sprawling of huge buildings and reconstructing of the old ones also taking place. The state government of California should put in place and implement policies and regulations that will protect the future of Dublin City.
Conclusively, since its establishment as a suitable habitat region that supports agriculture for more than 200 years ago, Dublin City has received tremendous growth in all aspects. The geographical location of the area between the Tri-Mountains serves as the source of the Mediterranean climate that the area enjoys. Located at the crossroads of Interstate 580 as well as Interstate 680, Dublin City also serves as home to Dublin Hills Regional Park. However, the continuous increase of human population threatens the physical geography of the area with geologic hazards speculated and a drought already experienced. Without putting in place and implementing policies and the right measures against destruction, the future of Dublin City is worrying (Reid, 2014).

References
Almquist, E. L. (2013). “Dear, Dirty Dublin”: A City in Distress, 1899–1916. By Joseph V. O’Brien. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1982. Pp. 338. $32.50. J. Eco. History, 43(03), 753-754. doi:10.1017/s0022050700030436
California Government. (2014). History of Dublin | Dublin, CA – Official Website. Retrieved from http://www.dublin.ca.gov/397/History-of-Dublin
California Government. (2016). Geologic Hazard Abatement Districts (GHAD) | Dublin, CA – Official Website. Retrieved from http://dublinca.gov/1607/Geologic-Hazard-Abatement-Districts-GHAD
East Bay Parks. (2015). Dublin Hills Regional Park. Retrieved from http://www.ebparks.org/parks/dublin_hills
Reid, T. (2014, February 14). In California drought, big money, many actors, little oversight| Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-california-water-insight-idUSBREA3O0YF20140425

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