Whitewater River (California)

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Coordinates: 33°30′30″N 116°03′26″W / 33.50833°N 116.05722°W / 33.50833; -116.05722
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Whitewater River
Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indio, Coachella, Mecca
Physical characteristics
SourceConfluence of North and Middle Forks [1][2]
 • locationNear San Gorgonio Mountain, San Bernardino Mountains, San Bernardino County
 • coordinates34°03′48″N 116°44′50″W / 34.06333°N 116.74722°W / 34.06333; -116.74722[3]
 • elevation4,787 ft (1,459 m)
MouthSalton Sea
 • location
South of Mecca, Riverside County
 • coordinates
33°30′30″N 116°03′26″W / 33.50833°N 116.05722°W / 33.50833; -116.05722[3]
 • elevation
−233 ft (−71 m)
Length53.9 mi (86.7 km)[4]
Basin size1,500 sq mi (3,900 km2)
Discharge 
 • locationIndio[5]
 • average3.53 cu ft/s (0.100 m3/s)[6]
 • minimum0 cu ft/s (0 m3/s)
 • maximum11,400 cu ft/s (320 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • left
Palm Canyon Wash,[11] Cathedral Canyon[12]
TypeWild, Recreational
DesignatedMarch 12, 2019[13]
Banning Pass and the Palm Springs International Airport
with a plane on final approach

The Whitewater River is a small permanent

endorheic Salton Sea drainage basin
.

Initially called Agua Blanco by early Spanish explorers,[14] and later translated into English as white water, the river received its name for its milky appearance created by the silicate and lime sediments it carries.[15] The community of Whitewater was named after the river, and became a key stop on the Bradshaw Trail stagecoach runs.

Geography

See also: List of Whitewater River tributaries

San Bernardino Mountains

The Whitewater River has three significant tributaries: the North, Middle, and South Forks, all within the Sand to Snow National Monument.

The North Fork begins in the

arroyo. The South Fork flows northeast through a narrower wooded canyon, joining the Middle Fork lower down. The upper watershed is in the San Gorgonio Wilderness and San Bernardino National Forest, then it reaches land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Below the confluences, the arroyo is at least 0.5 mi (0.80 km) wide, paved with accumulations of boulders, gravel, and sand brought down by floods and brushy except in stream channels cleared by floodwaters. Due to floods and shifting channels, there is almost no riparian forest
development, except locally along unnamed minor tributaries with relatively stable channels.

The

Rainbow Trout
. These fish are confined to places where there is shade or tributaries with cooler water. They are not sufficiently adapted to elevated summer temperatures to colonize the rest of the stream.

Coachella Valley

Below the PCT trailhead, the enclosing hills fall away, so the arroyo exits from the San Bernardino Mountains near

groundwater recharging of the Coachella Valley aquifer
.

Before approaching Palm Springs, the Whitewater River is fed imported water from the Colorado River Aqueduct, managed by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.[17] During rare floods, surface water may reach the endorheic basin of the Salton Sea, below sea level.

Panoramic view of the dry Whitewater River in the Coachella Valley, between Palm Springs and the Salton Sea, with date palm orchards visible on the far side

Popular culture

In 2010 Huell Howser Productions, in association with KCET/Los Angeles, featured the river and nearby community in California's Gold.[18]

References

Bibliography

  • Gunther, Jane Davies (1984). Riverside County, California, Place Names; Their Origins and Their Stories, Riverside, CA.
    LCCN 84-72920
    .

Citations and notes

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: North Fork Whitewater River
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Middle Fork Whitewater River
  3. ^ a b "Whitewater River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. 1981-01-19. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  4. ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed March 16, 2011
  5. ^ "USGS Gage #10259300 on the Whitewater River near Indio" (PDF). National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. 1966. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  6. ^ "USGS Gage #10259300 on the Whitewater River near Indio" (PDF). National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. 1966. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  7. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mission Creek
  8. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Garnet Wash
  9. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Thousand Palm Canyon Wash
  10. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: South Fork Whitewater River
  11. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Palm Canyon Wash
  12. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Cathedral Canyon
  13. ^ "Explore Designated Rivers". Rivers.gov. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  14. ^ Gunther, pp570.
  15. ^ McDonnell, Lawrence R. (1970). Rivers of California. San Francisco, California: Pacific Gas and Electric Company. p. 47.
  16. ^ Wildlands Conservancy Whitewater Preserve Archived October 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ [1][dead link]
  18. OCLC 47732513
    .

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Whitewater_River_(California)&oldid=1177973948"