The
Sweetwater River is a 55 miles (88.5 km) long stream in southwestern
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. From its headwaters high in the
Cuyamaca MountainsThe Cuyamaca Mountains, locally the Cuyamacas, are a mountain range in San Diego County, California. The mountains run roughly northwest to southeast. The highest elevations are Cuyamaca Peak at and Stonewall Peak at...
, the river flows generally southwest, first through rugged hinterlands but then into the urban areas surrounding its mouth at
San Diego BaySan Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
. Its
drainage basinA 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...
covers more than 230 mi2, all of it in
San Diego CountySan Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
. Towns on the river include
DescansoDescanso is a small census-designated place in the Mountain Empire area of southeastern San Diego County, California and part of California's 52nd congressional district. Descanso is located east of Alpine and west of Pine Valley. The population was 1,423 at the 2010 census.The community's name...
,
La PresaLa Presa is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California, United States. The population of was 34,169 at the 2010 census, up from 32,721 at the 2000 census...
and
Chula VistaChula Vista is the second largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fourteenth largest city in the State of California, and the seventy seventh largest city in the U.S....
.
The term "Sweetwater" is a name often given to freshwater which tastes good in regions where much of the water is bitter to the taste. The Spanish called the river "Agua Dulce", a name they applied to good clear water anywhere they lived.
Course
The river rises as an intermittent trickle flowing out of Upper Green Valley, deep in the semi-arid
Cuyamaca MountainsThe Cuyamaca Mountains, locally the Cuyamacas, are a mountain range in San Diego County, California. The mountains run roughly northwest to southeast. The highest elevations are Cuyamaca Peak at and Stonewall Peak at...
near Stonewall Peak. It flows south-southwest, receiving Harper Creek from the left and Stonewall Creek from the right, then coursing through narrow valleys and passing the small town of
DescansoDescanso is a small census-designated place in the Mountain Empire area of southeastern San Diego County, California and part of California's 52nd congressional district. Descanso is located east of Alpine and west of Pine Valley. The population was 1,423 at the 2010 census.The community's name...
. As the river enters the
Cleveland National ForestCleveland National Forest encompasses 460,000 acres , mostly of chaparral, with a few riparian areas. A warm dry mediterranean climate prevails over the Forest. It is the southernmost National forest of California. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, a government agency within...
, it cuts through a steep and spectacular rocky gorge and crosses under a high bridge of
Interstate 8Interstate 8 is an Interstate Highway in the southwestern United States. It runs from the southern edge of Mission Bay at Sunset Cliffs Blvd, in San Diego, California, almost at the Pacific Ocean, to the junction with Interstate 10, just southeast of Casa Grande, Arizona...
. Shortly after leaving the national forest, it flows into Loveland Reservoir, formed by
Loveland DamLoveland Dam is a dam across the Sweetwater River in San Diego County, California. The dam forms long, narrow Loveland Reservoir which stores of water...
, the first of two major dams along the Sweetwater.
Continuing westwards, it receives the North Fork from the right, travels by the city of
Rancho San DiegoRancho San Diego is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. The population was 21,208 at the 2010 census, up from 20,155 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rancho San Diego is located at ....
and passes through the Rancho San Diego Golf Course. The river then enters
Sweetwater ReservoirSweetwater Reservoir is a artificial lake in San Diego County, California formed by the Sweetwater Dam on the Sweetwater River. It lies near the city of Spring Valley....
, which is formed by the
Sweetwater DamThe Sweetwater Dam is a dam across the Sweetwater River in San Diego County, California. As the crow flies, it sits about east of San Diego and northeast of Chula Vista; and just south of the city of La Presa...
. Below the dam, the Sweetwater flows through Sweetwater Regional Park in a generally suburban area, passing the city of
BonitaBonita is a census-designated place in southern San Diego County, California, nestled between the cities of Chula Vista, National City, and San Diego. The population was 12,538 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Bonita is located at ....
. Bending northwest, the river enters a
flood control channelFlood control channels are a series of large and empty open-air channels that extend a ways below the street levels of some larger cities, so that if and when a flood occurs, the flood will run into the channels, and proceed to be drained to the proper body of water...
and passes between
National CityNational City is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 58,582 at the 2010 census, up from 54,260 at the 2000 census. National City is the second oldest city in San Diego County and has a historic past.-History:...
and
Chula VistaChula Vista is the second largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fourteenth largest city in the State of California, and the seventy seventh largest city in the U.S....
. The tidal portion of the river, which starts roughly here, is called the Sweetwater Marsh. The river empties into
San Diego BaySan Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
about 7.5 miles (12.1 km) southeast of downtown
San DiegoSan Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
.
Watershed
This river drains a long, narrow basin of 230 mi2 in extreme southern California, with its mouth less than 20 miles (32.2 km) north of the United States-Mexico border. Much of the river's watershed is mountainous, and the highest point is 5730 feet (1,746.5 m) above sea level at Stonewall Peak in the Cuyamacas Mountains. A large portion of the drainage lies within the
Cleveland National ForestCleveland National Forest encompasses 460,000 acres , mostly of chaparral, with a few riparian areas. A warm dry mediterranean climate prevails over the Forest. It is the southernmost National forest of California. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, a government agency within...
, but few trees are actually supported by the arid climate. The Sweetwater is the largest river flowing into
San Diego BaySan Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
.
Most of the drainage, nearly 64 percent, comprises wilderness or designated parks and open space. However, approximately 30% is urban development and part of the San Diego metro area. Native American reservations also occupy part of the land. The watershed has a human population of over 300,000; mostly residing in the residential cities of
Chula VistaChula Vista is the second largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fourteenth largest city in the State of California, and the seventy seventh largest city in the U.S....
,
National CityNational City is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 58,582 at the 2010 census, up from 54,260 at the 2000 census. National City is the second oldest city in San Diego County and has a historic past.-History:...
, and others such as
La PresaLa Presa is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California, United States. The population of was 34,169 at the 2010 census, up from 32,721 at the 2000 census...
,
BonitaBonita is a census-designated place in southern San Diego County, California, nestled between the cities of Chula Vista, National City, and San Diego. The population was 12,538 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Bonita is located at ....
and
Rancho San DiegoRancho San Diego is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. The population was 21,208 at the 2010 census, up from 20,155 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rancho San Diego is located at ....
, all in the less rugged western portion of the basin.
The eastern drainage divide of the Sweetwater watershed lies on the main divide of the Cuyamacas, which also separates streams of the Pacific slope from streams draining to the endorheic basin of the
Salton SeaThe Salton Sea is a shallow, saline, endorheic rift lake located directly on the San Andreas Fault, predominantly in California's Imperial Valley. The lake occupies the lowest elevations of the Salton Sink in the Colorado Desert of Imperial and Riverside counties in Southern California. Like Death...
farther to the east. To the north, the Sweetwater basin shares borders with those of the
San Diego RiverThe San Diego River is a river in San Diego County, California. It originates in the Cuyamaca Mountains northwest of the town of Julian, then flows to the southwest until it reaches the El Capitan Reservoir, the largest reservoir in the river's watershed at . Below El Capitan Dam, the river runs...
and the smaller streams that drain portions of National City and San Diego. On the south, it is bordered by the
Otay RiverThe Otay River is a river in southern San Diego County, California. The river begins at San Miguel Mountain, flows through the Upper- and Lower- Otay Reservoirs, and continues on between the southern part of the Chula Vista and the Otay Mesa West district of San Diego, and empties into San Diego Bay...
and
Tijuana RiverThe Tijuana River is an intermittent river, 120 mi long, on the Pacific coast of northern Baja California in Mexico and southern California in the United States.-Location:...
drainages – specifically for the Tijuana, the subwatershed of Cottonwood Creek, the river's main tributary in the U.S.
Before reaching San Diego Bay, the river flows into 316 acres (1.3 km²)
Sweetwater Marsh, a part of the
San Diego National Wildlife RefugeSan Diego National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in California. It is part of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex.A variety of habitats from coastal sage scrub and chaparral to oak woodland and freshwater marsh describe this inland refuge in San Diego's backcountry.The...
. Adjacent to the marsh is the
Chula Vista Nature Center hosting nature walks and an aviary with native birds such as burrowing owls, egrets and herons.
History
In pre-Anglo times, the Sweetwater River was a small but year-round stream, lined on both banks by extensive
riparian forestA riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the fifteen terrestrial biomes of the earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by...
s,
marshIn geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es and
floodplainA floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
s. It is believed that humans first arrived in the San Diego Bay area between 20,000 and 30,000 years ago. Native American tribes on the river were subdivisions of the
KumeyaayThe Kumeyaay, also known as Tipai-Ipai, Kamia, or formerly Diegueño, are Native American people of the extreme southwestern United States and northwest Mexico. They live in the states of California in the US and Baja California in Mexico. In Spanish, the name is commonly spelled...
or Diegueño ethnic group, their villages included Sekwan and Hamacha on the middle portion of the stream; Amotaretuwe to the north, and Ekwiamak in the headwaters portion.
The first European to arrive in the region was probably
Juan Rodríguez CabrilloJuan Rodriguez Cabrillo was a Portuguese explorer noted for his exploration of the west coast of North America on behalf of Spain. Cabrillo was the first European explorer to navigate the coast of present day California in the United States...
, who sailed his ship, the
San Salvador, into San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. Cabrillo did not stay in the area for long, but his visit helped
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
lay claim to the area. The Spanish established settlements in the area in the 1760s mainly clustering around
Mission San Diego de AlcalaMission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, in San Diego, California, was the first Franciscan mission in the Las Californias Province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It was founded in 1769 by Spanish friar Junípero Serra in an area long inhabited by the Kumeyaay Indians...
. Later, after passing through the hands of
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and finally the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, emigrants began arriving in the San Diego area in great numbers, many of them settling along the Sweetwater, establishing irrigated farms. The
Sweetwater DamThe Sweetwater Dam is a dam across the Sweetwater River in San Diego County, California. As the crow flies, it sits about east of San Diego and northeast of Chula Vista; and just south of the city of La Presa...
was built in 1888 to provide storage for agricultural and municipal uses. By the late 1800s, the stream was described as having "practically no living water, except at its extreme sources and for 10 or 20 miles down from the summit of the range" presumably because of the large irrigation diversions.
Dams
On its journey to the sea, the Sweetwater is interrupted by three dams. The first is Palo Verde Dam, a small rockfill structure about 2.5 miles (4 km) southeast of
AlpineAlpine is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. Alpine had a population of 14,236 at the 2010 census, up from 13,143 at the 2000 census.Alpine is the residence of former United States Representative Duncan Hunter...
, serving mainly for recreation and flood control. Several miles below Palo Verde lies the much larger
Loveland DamLoveland Dam is a dam across the Sweetwater River in San Diego County, California. The dam forms long, narrow Loveland Reservoir which stores of water...
(Sweetwater Falls Dam), which forms Loveland Reservoir. Below here, the Sweetwater is free flowing until about 8 miles (12.9 km) above the mouth, where the
Sweetwater DamThe Sweetwater Dam is a dam across the Sweetwater River in San Diego County, California. As the crow flies, it sits about east of San Diego and northeast of Chula Vista; and just south of the city of La Presa...
forms the last and largest,
Sweetwater ReservoirSweetwater Reservoir is a artificial lake in San Diego County, California formed by the Sweetwater Dam on the Sweetwater River. It lies near the city of Spring Valley....
.
Loveland and Sweetwater are both operated by the Sweetwater Authority. The former serves mainly for flood control while Sweetwater functions as a reserve water storage facility for the cities downstream, including San Diego, National City and Chula Vista and also as a terminus for piped-in water from the
San Diego AqueductThe San Diego Project, more popularly referenced as the San Diego Aqueduct, is a system of four aqueducts in the U.S. state of California, supplying about 90 percent of the water supply for the city of San Diego. The system comprises the First and Second San Diego Aqueducts, carrying water from the...
.
Ecology
Recently the surprising discovery of a
Western pond turtleThe western pond turtle , or Pacific pond turtle is a small to medium-sized turtle growing to approximately 20 cm in carapace length. It is limited to the west coast of the United States of America and Mexico, ranging from western Washington state to northern Baja California...
(
Actinemys marmorata), an IUCN Red List endangered species, in a tributary of the Sweetwater River near
Jamul, CaliforniaJamul is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. Jamul had a population of 6,163 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau Jamul is located at ....
alerted wildlife officials that the turtle is still extant in the area. The nearby San Diego National Wildlife Refuge is home to endangered birds such as the
Least Bell’s VireoThe Bell's Vireo is a small North American songbird. It is 4-3/4 to 5 inches in length, dull olive-gray above and whitish below...
(
Vireo bellii pusillus) and
California GnatcatcherThe California Gnatcatcher, Polioptila californica, is a small 10.8 cm long insectivorous bird which frequents dense coastal sage scrub growth...
(
Polioptila californica) and the rare
Quino CheckerspotThe Quino Checkerspot is native to California and Mexico. It is a subspecies of the common Edith's Checkerspot and the second such subspecies to be listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. This species, like many others, has undergone several changes in nomenclature and classification...
(
Euphydryas editha quino) butterfly.
It has been controversial whether beaver (
Castor canadensis) were native to San Diego County. However, a report on the fauna of the county by Dr. David Hoffman in 1866 stated "Of the animal kingdom we have a fair variety: the grizzly bear, the antelope, the deer, the polecat, the
beaver, the wildcat, the otter, the fox, the badger, the hare, the squirrel, and coyotes innumerable." Indirect evidence of beaver in San Diego County includes a creek named
Beaver Hollow which runs 3.25 miles into the Sweetwater River about 6.5 miles southwest of
AlpineAlpine is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. Alpine had a population of 14,236 at the 2010 census, up from 13,143 at the 2000 census.Alpine is the residence of former United States Representative Duncan Hunter...
. Beaver Hollow is named on the
USGSThe United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
Topo Map for
CuyamacaCuyamaca is a region of eastern San Diego County. It lies east of the Capitan Grande Indian Reservation in the western Laguna Mountains, north of Descanso and south of Julian. Named for the 1845 Rancho Cuyamaca Mexican land grant, the region is now dominated by the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park...
in 1903, which is twenty years before
California Department of Fish and GameThe California Department of Fish and Game is a department within the government of California, falling under its parent California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Game manages and protects the state's diverse fish, wildlife, plant resources, and native habitats...
began beaver re-introductions in California.
The upper (above
Descanso, CaliforniaDescanso is a small census-designated place in the Mountain Empire area of southeastern San Diego County, California and part of California's 52nd congressional district. Descanso is located east of Alpine and west of Pine Valley. The population was 1,423 at the 2010 census.The community's name...
) Sweetwater River and several small tributaries hold wild
Rainbow troutThe rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
(
Oncorhyncus mykiss) populations, including Cold Springs Creek, Harper Creek, Japacha Creek, Jauquapin Creek, and Stonewall Creek.
Tributaries
Tributaries of the Sweetwater are listed from mouth to source:
- Rice Canyon
- Long Canyon
- Spring Creek
- Dehesa Creek
- Harbison Canyon
- North Fork Sweetwater River
- Beaver Hollow Creek
- Lawson Creek
- Taylor Creek
-Water courses:*Taylor-Massey Creek , Toronto, Ontario, Canada*Taylor Creek , Washington, United States...
- Viejas Creek
- Samagatuma Creek
- Descanso Creek
- Juaquapin Creek
- Japacho Creek
- Cold Stream
- Harper Creek
- Stonewall Creek
External links