Coyote Valley, California

This article is about the portion of the Santa Clara Valley. For the reservation in Mendocino County, see Coyote Valley Reservation. For valley in Colorado sometimes known as Coyote Valley, see Kawuneeche Valley.

Coyote Valley
A view across the Coyote Valley towards Morgan Hill from Santa Teresa County Park, April 1, 2006
Floor elevation260 feet (79 m) at Coyote, California[1]
Length7 miles Northwest to Southeast
Width2 miles
Geography
LocationCalifornia
Population centersSan Jose, California
Coyote, California
Morgan Hill, California
Borders onMount Hamilton, Diablo Range (east)
Foothills of Santa Cruz Mountains (west)
San Jose (north)
Morgan Hill, California (south)
Traversed byU.S. Highway 101, Monterey Highway

Coyote Valley is an area located in a narrowing of the southern Santa Clara Valley, in Northern California.[2] Coyote Valley is approximately 7,400 acres (2,995 ha) in size and largely composed of farmland, orchards, open space preserves, and homes. Coyote Valley is generally divided into three sections: North Coyote Valley (which is part of San Jose), the unincorporated village of Coyote, California (which is located in North Coyote Valley), and South Coyote Valley (which is part of Morgan Hill).

Coyote Valley is one of the largest greenbelts in the San Francisco Bay Area. Much of Coyote Valley is preserved as open space, nature reserve, or protected farmland. The area was threatened by large-scale development in the early 2000s, which drew criticism from the public, resulting in the abandonment of the redevelopment plans and the establishment of the conservation policy which governs the valley. The Coyote Gap at the extreme north end of Coyote Valley is a critical wildlife corridor for safe passage of animals from the Diablo Range in the east to the Santa Cruz Mountains in the west, as Coyote Valley is the narrowest point between the two mountain ranges. In 2021, the San Jose City Council and Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to protect Coyote Valley for open space and agricultural uses.[2][3][4][5][6]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference CoyoteCA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority and Conservation Biology Institute (June 2017). Coyote Valley Landscape Linkage: A Vision for a Resilient, Multi-benefit Landscape (PDF) (Report). San José, CA: Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. p. 61. Retrieved June 25, 2017.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Julie Phillips; Ryan Phillips; Neela Srinivasan; Deborah Aso; Wendy Lao; Pat Cornely (2012). Safe Passage for Coyote Valley: A Wildlife Linkage for the 101 Corridor (PDF) (Report). Cupertino, CA: De Anza College. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
  4. ^ Jack Van Zandt (May 4, 2006). "Coyote Valley Boondoggle". San Jose Inside.
  5. ^ Laura Hautala (January 1, 2009). "Coyote Valley Crossings". Bay Nature. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  6. ^ CBS Broadcasting Inc. (December 15, 2021). "Santa Clara Supervisors Approve Development Limits In Coyote Valley To Preserve Farmland". CBS San Francisco. Retrieved December 15, 2021.