Carpinteria Creek is an 8.1 miles (13 km) stream that runs from headwaters in the Santa Ynez Mountains

Santa Ynez Mountains

The Santa Ynez Mountains are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of the west coast of North America, and are one of the northernmost mountain ranges in Southern California.-Geography:...

, flows south past Snowball Mountain, then continues southwest to its estuary at Carpinteria State Beach

Carpinteria State Beach

Carpinteria State Beach is a protected beach in the state park system of California, USA. It is located south of Santa Barbara in the city of Carpinteria. The park has of beachfront. Recreational activities include swimming, surf fishing, camping, and tidepool exploration. The park was...

 on the Santa Barbara Channel

Santa Barbara Channel

The Santa Barbara Channel is a portion of the Pacific Ocean which separates the mainland of California from the northern Channel Islands. It is generally south of the city of Santa Barbara, and west of the city of Ventura....

 at Carpinteria

Carpinteria, California

Carpinteria is a small oceanside city located in southeastern Santa Barbara County, California, east of Santa Barbara and northwest of Ventura. The population was 13,040 at the 2010 census, down from 14,194 at the 2000 census....

.

History

The Portola Expedition

Portola expedition

250px|right|Point of San Francisco Bay DiscoveryThe Portolá Expedition was led by Gaspar de Portolá from July 14, 1769 to January 24, 1770. It was the first recorded Spanish land entry and exploration of present day California, United States...

 of 1769 found a Chumash Indian village building canoes so named the area La Carpinteria for "carpenter's shop".

Watershed and course

The Carpinteria Creek watershed drains 15.3 square miles (39.6 km²). Carpinteria Creek originates at 3460 feet (1,054.6 m) above sea level, and its main tributaries are Sutton Canyon Creek and Gobernador Creek. The tributaries of Gobernador Creek are El Dorado Creek and Steer Creek. The latter's source is on Divide Peak at 4690 feet (1,429.5 m) elevation. Unlike many other southern California coastal streams, Carpinteria Creek still runs freely under open spans (rather than through culverts) at both the Union Pacific tracks and the 101 freeway. The creek is perennial through the urban reach of the creek. An historical map from 1869 showed that the Carpinteria salt marsh "El Estero" extended almost to Carpinteria Creek.

Ecology

Once a significant spawning stream for hundreds of southern Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), trout are now rare visitors to Carpinteria Creek. Other threatened and endangered species in the creek include Coulter's goldfields, Coulter's saltbush, Ventura Marsh milk-vetch, late-flowered mariposa lily, monarch butterfly, sandy beach tiger beetle, tidewater goby, and western snowy plover. Trees in the upper watershed include white alder, California sycamore, black cottonwood and coast live oak, and in the lower watershed include California sycamore, southern walnut and arroyo willow.

Monarch butterflies winter at Salzgeber Meadow, which is located along the eastern bank of Carpinteria Creek upstream of the railroad tracks.

Conservation

Major habitat restoration efforts include removal on non-native giant reed (Arundo donax) and other water-thirsty species as well as removal of non-native iceplant from the coastal area.