List of rivers of Orange County, California

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Map showing largest Orange County watersheds and watercourses. Pending final revision.

This is a list of rivers of Orange County, California, which is a small coastal region in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. There are thirteen distinct drainage areas in the watershed and eight large streams, most of which were formerly free-flowing but intermittent. In the inland portions of the county, streams typically flow into the San Gabriel River or Santa Ana River, both of which begin further inland and flow into Orange County as they near their mouths. Closer to the coast, many streams begin in the San Joaquin Hills or Santa Ana Mountains and flow directly into the sea. Most of the waterways in the area received their name from Spanish conquistadors in the 18th century. The county is heavily developed and many streams are now channelized and polluted.

The San Gabriel River delineates the northeastern boundary of the county, and is fed by tributaries such as Coyote Creek, which drains northwestern Orange County. All along the San Joaquin Hills, which extend from the mouth of Newport Bay south to San Diego County, small canyons drain into the Pacific, and San Diego Creek is the primary watercourse feeding Newport Bay, draining a portion of central Orange County, Further south Aliso Creek drains southwest into the sea, and San Juan Creek and its major tributary, Trabuco Creek drain much of the remaining southern part. The slice of land that lies south of San Juan Creek's outflow is drained by two streams, Prima and Segunda Deshecha Cañada.

If a creek passes through a reservoir or lake, that is included. Lakes at the source of a stream are not listed, unless noted. If a creek has a name of Spanish origin, then the translation of that name is given in the Translation section.

North of San Diego Creek

Some rivers begin in Orange County and drain into the San Gabriel River, which forms most of the boundary of Orange and Los Angeles counties. Coyote Creek Carbon Creek Moody Creek Fullerton Creek Fullerton Reservoir (instream, flood control) Brea Creek Brea Reservoir (instream, flood control) San Jose Flood Diversion Channel Tonner Canyon North Fork Coyote Creek Miranda Creek Imperial Creek

These two drainage channels abut the mouth of the Santa Ana River: Talbert Channel Huntington Beach Channel Some rivers of Orange County flow into the Santa Ana River, which flows from Riverside County. Santiago Creek Handy Creek Irvine Lake(Instream water supply, recreation and flood control reservoir) Limestone Canyon Creek Silverado Canyon Black Star Canyon Creek Baker Canyon Creek Modjeska Creek(Named for and flows from Modjeska Peak) Grotto Spring(Forms the headwaters of Modjeska Creek) Bear Trap Canyon Creek Jamison Spring(Located at Santiago Creek's headwaters)

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  Moody Creek, a small tributary of Coyote Creek

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  Irvine Lake, a reservoir on Santiago Creek

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  The mouth of Black Star Canyon

San Diego Creek to Aliso Creek

San Diego Creek is a large watershed that is directly south of the Santa Ana River, draining into Upper Newport Bay. Reservoirs are listed because outflow from them provide much of the flow in the creek's tributaries. San Diego Creek Bonita Canyon Creek Bonita Canyon Reservoir Sand Canyon Wash Sand Canyon Reservoir San Joaquin Wash San Joaquin Reservoir Peters Canyon Wash Santa Ana Channel Rattlesnake Canyon Creek Peters Canyon Reservoir Marshburn Channel Bee Canyon Wash Round Canyon Bee Canyon Reservoir Agua Chinon Creek Borrego Canyon Serrano Creek La Cañada Wash Santa Ana-Delhi Channel Big Canyon Creek Several small streams, the largest of which is in Laguna Canyon, drain the San Joaquin Hills between the mouths of San Juan and Aliso creeks. Buck Gully Reef Point Creek Los Trancos Canyon Muddy Canyon Creek El Moro Canyon Creek Emerald Canyon Creek Boat Canyon Creek Laguna Canyon Willow Canyon Creek Laurel Canyon Wash El Toro Creek Camarillo Canyon See also Laguna Lakes Little Sycamore Canyon

South of Laguna Canyon, the largest streams flowing into the Pacific are Aliso Creek, Salt Creek and San Juan Creek. Bluebird Canyon Creek Hobo Canyon Aliso Creek Wood Canyon Creek See also Wood Canyon Emergent Wetland Sulphur Creek Narco Channel See also Sulphur Creek Reservoir Niguel Drain Dairy Fork Aliso Hills Channel Munger Creek English Canyon Creek Salt Creek San Juan Canyon Creek Arroyo Salada Storm Channel Sea Canyon Creek North Creek

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  Upper Newport Bay, the discharge point of San Diego Creek

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  Peters Canyon Reservoir is the beginning of Peters Canyon Wash.

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  Aliso Creek upstream of Aliso Canyon

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  Salt Creek nearing its mouth

South of San Juan Creek to OC Boundary

San Juan Creek Trabuco Creek Oso Creek La Paz Creek See also Lake Mission Viejo and Upper Oso Reservoir Tijeras Canyon Creek Cañada Chiquita Live Oak Canyon Creek Hickey Canyon Creek Rose Canyon Creek Falls Canyon Creek Holy Jim Creek El Horno Creek Cañada Chiquita Cañada Gobernadora Trampas Canyon Verdugo Canyon Wash Bell Canyon Dove Canyon Creek Tick Creek Lucas Canyon Creek Aliso Canyon Creek Crow Springs Creek Cold Springs Creek Hot Springs Creek Outlet stream of San Juan Hot Springs Chiquito Creek Lion Canyon Creek Long Canyon Creek Morrell Canyon Bear Canyon Creek

South of San Juan Creek the primary streams are Prima Deshecha Cañada and Segunda Deshecha Cañada. Several streams also drain east and south into San Diego County. Prima Deshecha Cañada Cascaditas Canyon Segunda Deshecha Cañada East Fork Segunda Deshecha Cañada Christianitos Canyon Creek (drains to San Mateo Creek) Talega Canyon Gabino Creek La Paz Canyon Creek Trabuco Creek near mouth San Juan Creek in the concrete channel in its lower reaches

Translations

Translations of creeks with names of Spanish origin are give, in alphabetical order.

• Aliso Creek - Alder Creek
• El Horno Creek - Oven Creek
• El Toro Creek - Bull Creek
• Laguna Canyon - Lagoon Canyon
• Oso Creek - Bear Creek
• Prima Deshecha Cañada - First "Undone" Creek
• San Diego Creek - Saint Diego Creek
• San Juan Creek - Saint Juan Creek'
• Segunda Deshecha Cañada - Second "Undone" Creek
• Trabuco Creek - Musket Creek or Blunderbuss Creek

See also

• List of tributaries of the Santa Ana River
• List of rivers of California

External links

• OC Watershed