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San Jacinto River (California)
Encyclopedia
The San Jacinto River is a 42 miles (67.6 km) river
in Riverside County, California
. The river's headwaters are in San Bernardino National Forest
, but the lower portion of the 765 square miles (1,981.3 km²) watershed
is urban and agricultural land.
The river is formed at the west base of the San Jacinto Mountains
by the confluence of its North and South forks. The South Fork flows from Lake Hemet
, which holds 14000 acre.ft of water. Hemet Dam was built in 1895 to supply water to the city of Hemet
. Downstream of the dam
, the South Fork joins the North Fork east of the town of Valle Vista
, and the main stem of the San Jacinto River continues northwest until it discharges into Mystic Lake
, a couple of miles east of Lake Perris
. Overflow from the river then flows southwest through Railroad Canyon
to Railroad Canyon Reservoir, also called Canyon Lake, which has a capacity of 11900 acre.ft. Downstream of Railroad Canyon Dam, the river continues flowing roughly southwest for about 3 miles (4.8 km) until it drains into Lake Elsinore
. The lake has very little outflow, but in rare cases it has overflowed into Temescal Creek, a tributary of the Santa Ana River
, that flows northwest to that river in Corona, California
.
As an endorheic watershed that is contiguous with other Great Basin
watersheds, the western side of the San Jacinto Basin is a portion of the Great Basin Divide
.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in Riverside County, California
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
. The river's headwaters are in San Bernardino National Forest
San Bernardino National Forest
San Bernardino National Forest is a federally-managed forest covering more than 800,000 acres . There are two main divisions which are the San Bernardino Mountains on the easternmost of the Transverse Range, and the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains on the northernmost of the Peninsular...
, but the lower portion of the 765 square miles (1,981.3 km²) watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
is urban and agricultural land.
The river is formed at the west base of the San Jacinto Mountains
San Jacinto Mountains
The San Jacinto Mountains are a mountain range east of Los Angeles in southern California in the United States. The mountains are named for Saint Hyacinth . The Pacific Crest Trail runs along the spine of the range.The range extends for approximately from the San Bernardino Mountains southeast to...
by the confluence of its North and South forks. The South Fork flows from Lake Hemet
Lake Hemet
Lake Hemet is a water storage reservoir located in the San Jacinto Mountains in Riverside County, California, with a capacity of of water. It was created in 1895 with the construction of the Hemet Dam, and is owned and operated by the Lake Hemet Municipal Water District .- Facts and statistics...
, which holds 14000 acre.ft of water. Hemet Dam was built in 1895 to supply water to the city of Hemet
Hemet, California
Hemet is a city in the San Jacinto Valley in Riverside County, California, United States. It covers a total area of , about half of the valley, which it shares with the neighboring city of San Jacinto. The population was 78,657 at the 2010 census....
. Downstream of the dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
, the South Fork joins the North Fork east of the town of Valle Vista
Valle Vista, California
Valle Vista is a census-designated place in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 14,578 at the 2010 census, up from 8,356 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Valle Vista is located at ....
, and the main stem of the San Jacinto River continues northwest until it discharges into Mystic Lake
Mystic Lake (California)
Mystic Lake is an ephemeral lake in the San Jacinto Valley of western Riverside County, California. It is located east of Lake Perris, between Moreno Valley and San Jacinto.-Shrinking:...
, a couple of miles east of Lake Perris
Lake Perris
Lake Perris is an artificial lake completed in 1973. It is the southern terminus of the California State Water Project situated in a mountain-rimmed valley between Moreno Valley, and city of Perris in what is now the Lake Perris State Recreation Area. The park offers a variety of recreational...
. Overflow from the river then flows southwest through Railroad Canyon
Railroad Canyon
Railroad Canyon, also known as San Jacinto Canyon, Cottonwood Canyon, and Annie Orton Canyon, lies along the course of the San Jacinto River at the point where the river passes south through the hills from Perris, California, through Canyon Lake, California, then west to Lake Elsinore, California...
to Railroad Canyon Reservoir, also called Canyon Lake, which has a capacity of 11900 acre.ft. Downstream of Railroad Canyon Dam, the river continues flowing roughly southwest for about 3 miles (4.8 km) until it drains into Lake Elsinore
Lake Elsinore
Lake Elsinore, originally named Laguna Grande by the Spanish explorers, renamed for the town Lake Elsinore, California established on its northeastern shore April 9, 1888.-Limnology:...
. The lake has very little outflow, but in rare cases it has overflowed into Temescal Creek, a tributary of the Santa Ana River
Santa Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river of Southern California in the United States. Its drainage basin spans four counties. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows past the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, before cutting through the northern tip of the Santa Ana Mountains and...
, that flows northwest to that river in Corona, California
Corona, California
Corona is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 152,374, up from 124,966 at the 2000 census...
.
As an endorheic watershed that is contiguous with other Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
watersheds, the western side of the San Jacinto Basin is a portion of the Great Basin Divide
Great Basin Divide
The Great Basin Divide is the western continental divide that separates the Great Basin from the Pacific Ocean watershed. The water divide is the perimeter of the largest set of contiguous endorheic watersheds of North America, including six entire USGS watershed subregions...
.