Coyote Creek (San Gabriel River tributary)
Coyote Creek | |
---|---|
![]() North Fork of Coyote Creek in La Mirada | |
![]() Map of the Coyote Creek watershed | |
Etymology | Unknown |
Location | |
Country | United States |
State | California |
Counties | Orange County, Riverside County, Los Angeles, San Bernardino |
Cities | Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, Hawaiian Gardens, La Habra, Lakewood, La Palma, Long Beach, |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Orange County, California |
• coordinates | 33°56′49″N 117°57′31″W / 33.94694°N 117.95861°W[1] |
• elevation | 2,300 ft (700 m) |
Mouth | San Gabriel River |
• coordinates | 33°47′41″N 118°05′24″W / 33.79472°N 118.09000°W[1] |
• elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
Length | 13.7 mi (22.0 km) |
Basin size | 41.3 sq mi (107 km2) |
Discharge | |
• location | Los Alamitos[2] |
• average | 43.5 cu ft/s (1.23 m3/s)[2] |
• minimum | 24 cu ft/s (0.68 m3/s) |
• maximum | 14,300 cu ft/s (400 m3/s) |
Basin features | |
Tributaries | |
• left | Brea Creek, Fullerton Creek, Carbon Creek |
• right | La Canada Verde Creek |
Coyote Creek is a principal
Course
Coyote Creek is roughly 13.7 miles (22.0 km) long
Beginning at the border of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, Coyote Creek rises in two forks in the northwesterly corner of the latter county. As it goes south, it turns west and quickly acquires many south-flowing streams on its right bank. The creek is soon joined by Imperial Creek as it begins to flow southwest through a series of flood control channels, alternatively earth- and concrete-lined. The somewhat-haphazardly-constructed channel is described as being either concrete-lined, "composite," trapezoidal, or riprap. After having crossed the Los-Angeles–Orange County border three times, Coyote Creek receives its first major tributary, the 9.8-mile (15.8 km) Brea Creek, on the right bank.[6][7]
After receiving the water of Brea Creek, Coyote Creek continues southwest, passing beneath Interstate 5, while bending south for a brief stretch before turning back north. Shortly downstream from the confluence, it is joined by its North Fork, or La Canada Verde Creek.[9] The 9.1-mile-long (14.6 km) North Fork begins in three forks, which merge and flow due south. The creek is joined by a small tributary on the left bank and then receives a larger tributary, La Mirada Creek, on the left bank. The creek then continues directly south through a flood control channel before meeting Coyote Creek. Soon after the confluence, the third major tributary, Fullerton Creek, joins Coyote on the left bank.[6][7]
Several miles after State Route 91, a smaller tributary, Moody Creek, joins Coyote Creek on the left bank. Moody Creek begins parallel to SR 91, and flows only about 3.7 miles (6.0 km) before it joins Coyote Creek.
The fourth major tributary, the 13.6-mile (21.9 km)
Streamflow
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) operated two stream gauges on Coyote Creek. From 1965 to 1978, the USGS recorded flows at Los Alamitos, California, which is at its confluence with the San Gabriel River. The highest flow recorded there was 14,300 cubic feet per second (400 m3/s), and with three other high flows exceeding ten thousand cfs.[2]
For Brea Creek streamflow data see Brea Creek#Streamflow.
For
From 1962 to 2008, the USGS only ran one streamflow gauge for Carbon Creek, which was below Carbon Canyon Dam. The highest recorded flow during that period was 741 cubic feet (21.0 m3) per second, on 19 February 2005.[11]
Watershed
Geography and geology
![]() | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2009) |
Coyote Creek drains a roughly diamond-shaped watershed between the drainage basins of the San Gabriel and Santa Ana rivers, bounded on the north by the small mountain ranges Chino Hills, Puente Hills and West Coyote Hills. The watershed, with the exception of these hills, a small partial divide inside the watershed, and several recreational areas, such as Chino Hills State Park, is almost entirely developed, and is in sharp contrast to the San Gabriel River watershed viewed as a whole, which in total has only twenty-six percent of its area developed.[12]
Biology
![]() | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2009) |
Although channelized in many areas along its course, Coyote Creek and its tributaries provide some rich habitat for riparian and other species, including salt marsh instream, as well as
History
The Army Corps of Engineers expanded the channel and lined the creek with concrete beginning in the early 1960s. A young boy drowned in 1963, while playing on a makeshift raft, on the water behind a temporary dam built for the project.[citation needed]
Crossings
From mouth to source:[13]
- East Willow Street/Katella Avenue
I-605 - San Gabriel River Freeway
- East Spring Street/West Cerritos Avenue
- Norwalk Boulevard/Los Alamitos Boulevard
- Wardlow Road
- Lincoln Avenue
- Centralia Street
- Railroad (West Santa Ana Branch, disused)
- Del Amo Boulevard/La Palma Avenue
- Carmenita Road/Moody Street
- South Street/Orangethorpe Avenue
SR 91 - Artesia Freeway
- Walker Street
- Valley View Street
- Artesia Boulevard
- Railroad
- Firestone Boulevard (frontage road on southwest side of I-5)
I-5 - Santa Ana Freeway
- Firestone Boulevard (frontage road on northeast side of I-5)
- Knott Avenue
- Railroad (Union Pacific)
- CR N8- La Mirada Boulevard
- Rosecrans Avenue
- Hillsborough Drive
- Imperial Highway
SR 39 - Beach Boulevard
- Fashion Square Lane
- South Idaho Street
- West Lambert Road
- South Monte Vista Street
- South Walnut Street
- Euclid Street
- South Cypress Street
- Railroad
- South Harbor Boulevard
- Two railroads
See also
References
- ^ a b "Coyote Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
- ^ a b c "USGS 11090700 Coyote Creek at Los Alamitos CA: Monthly Statistics". United States Geological Survey. nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
- ^ "The San Gabriel River Watershed". Know Your Watershed. The River Project. Archived from the original on 9 February 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
- ^ "Introduction to Coyote Creek Watershed". Watershed and Coastal Resources Division of Orange County. ocwatersheds.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
- ^ "Coyote Creek Watershed – Land Use". Watershed and Coastal Resources Division of Orange County. ocwatersheds.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2009. Note: The Orange County California Watershed Site notes that "Orange County, California is a rapid developing area. Land Use is constantly changing and this information may not reflect the current conditions of the land."
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Coyote Creek Watershed and Elevation Ranges". Watershed and Coastal Resources Division of Orange County. ocwatersheds.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Summary of Existing Conditions Data: Coyote Creek Watershed Management Plan" (PDF). CH2M HILL. ocwatersheds.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 October 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 29 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 16 March 2011
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: La Canada Verde Creek
- ^ "USGS 11090000: Fullerton Creek at Fullerton, CA". United States Geological Survey. nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
- ^ "USGS 11075720: Carbon Creek Below Carbon Canyon Dam CA". United States Geological Survey. nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
- ^ "San Gabriel River Watershed". Los Angeles Department of Public Works. lacounty.gov. Archived from the original on 5 August 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
- ^ "USGS Feature Details (Coyote Creek)". Retrieved 9 September 2022.