Compton Creek
Encyclopedia
Compton Creek is a major tributary
of the Los Angeles River
in and surrounding Compton
in Los Angeles County, California
, and it is in desperate need of salvation. The stream drains a watershed of 42.1 square miles (109 km²). and is the last major tributary to enter the Los Angeles River before it reaches the Pacific Ocean.
The stream begins just east of South Main Street
between 107th and 108th Streets in Los Angeles
. Compton Creek passes through Willowbrook
and runs 8.5 miles (13.7 km) in total. Most of its route is encased in a concrete
flood control channel
. Shortly after it passes under West Greenleaf Boulevard, it changes to an earth-bottom section with riprap
banks. Joined near its end by East Compton Creek, the creek ultimately empties into the Los Angeles River just south of Del Amo Boulevard.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Los Angeles River
Los Angeles River
The Los Angeles River is a river that starts in the San Fernando Valley, in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and flows through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the western end of the San Fernando Valley, nearly southeast to its mouth in Long Beach...
in and surrounding Compton
Compton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
in Los Angeles County, California
California
California 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...
, and it is in desperate need of salvation. The stream drains a watershed of 42.1 square miles (109 km²). and is the last major tributary to enter the Los Angeles River before it reaches the Pacific Ocean.
The stream begins just east of South Main Street
Main Street (Los Angeles)
Main Street is a major north-south thoroughfare in Los Angeles, California, and is the east-west postal divider for that city. It begins as a continuation of Valley Boulevard west of Mission Road in Lincoln Heights and ends at the Port of Los Angeles. At 9th Street, it merges with Spring Street in...
between 107th and 108th Streets in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Compton Creek passes through Willowbrook
Willowbrook, California
Willowbrook is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California. The population was 35,983 at the 2010 census, up from 34,138 at the 2000 census. The community is located near the southeast edge of, and is often considered part of, South Los Angeles...
and runs 8.5 miles (13.7 km) in total. Most of its route is encased in a concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
flood control channel
Flood control channel
Flood 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...
. Shortly after it passes under West Greenleaf Boulevard, it changes to an earth-bottom section with riprap
Riprap
Riprap — also known as rip rap, rubble, shot rock or rock armour or "Rip-rap" — is rock or other material used to armor shorelines, streambeds, bridge abutments, pilings and other shoreline structures against scour, water or ice erosion.It is made from a variety of rock types, commonly granite or...
banks. Joined near its end by East Compton Creek, the creek ultimately empties into the Los Angeles River just south of Del Amo Boulevard.
Crossings and tributaries
From mouth to source (year built in parentheses):- Interstate 710Interstate 710Interstate 710 is a major north–south interstate freeway running for 23 miles through Los Angeles County, California...
Long Beach Freeway (1953) - East Del Amo Boulevard (1954)
- South Santa Fe Avenue (1950)
- East Compton Creek enters
- Railroad
- South Hanson Street (1937)
- State Route 91California State Route 91State Route 91 is a major east–west freeway located entirely within Southern California and serving several regions of the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area...
Artesia Feeway (1974) - East Artesia Boulevard (1956)
- Parking lot
- South Auto Drive - twin bridges (1980)
- Metro Blue Line
- West Gulliver Boulevard (1963)
- West Caldwell Street [Pedestrian Bridge]
- South Oleander Avenue (1938)
- West Alondra Boulevard (1938)
- West Compton Boulevard (1938)
- North Wilmington Avenue (1938)
- West Poplar Street [Pedestrian Bridge]
- West Rosecrans AvenueRosecrans AvenueRosecrans Avenue is a major west-east thoroughfare in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California, USA. It has a total length of 27.5 miles . The street is named after Union General William S. Rosecrans, who spent his later years in Southern California.-Route:Rosecrans Avenue begins at Ocean...
(1938) - North Parmelee Avenue/North Slater Avenue [Pedestrian Bridge]
- West El Segundo Boulevard (1948)
- West Billy Bergen Boulevard (1997)
- East 120th Street (1953)
- East 118th Street (1984)
- East Erik Uri Crossing (1994)
- Interstate 105 Glen Anderson Freeway including Metro Green Line and ramps (1988)
- South Central Avenue & State Route 90California State Route 90State Route 90 is a state highway in Southern California, United States. It consists of two unconnected pieces in Greater Los Angeles....
East Imperial Highway (1952) - East 114th Street (1951)
- East Lanzit Avenue (1953)
- Railroad
- Clovis Avenue (1999)
- McKinley Avenue (1952)
- Avalon BoulevardAvalon BoulevardAvalon Boulevard is a north-south street in Los Angeles County.-Geography:Avalon Boulevard is formed after San Pedro Street intersects with Jefferson Boulevard east of Exposition Park. It passes through Southern Los Angeles County through cities and communities like Carson, Compton, Willowbrook,...
& East 108th Street (1950) - South San Pedro StreetSan Pedro StreetSan Pedro Street is a major north-south thoroughfare in Los Angeles, California, running from Little Tokyo in Downtown Los Angeles to West Compton....
(1952) - Merges with the Los Angeles RiverLos Angeles RiverThe Los Angeles River is a river that starts in the San Fernando Valley, in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and flows through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the western end of the San Fernando Valley, nearly southeast to its mouth in Long Beach...
External links
- Selected maps from the Los Angeles & San Gabriel Rivers Watershed CouncilLos Angeles & San Gabriel Rivers Watershed CouncilThe Los Angeles & San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council, recently renamed the Council for Watershed Health, was founded in 1996 with the objective of bringing together representatives from all of the water agencies , regulatory agencies, citizen groups, and businesses with responsibilities or...
- Compton Creek Watershed Topography
- Soils in the Compton Creek Watershed
- Zipcodes in the Compton Creek Watershed
- Maintenance Jurisdictions in Compton Creek
- Dominguez and Compton Creek Watersheds
- Brownfields in the Compton Creek Partial Watershed
- http://www.comptoncity.org/index.php/Planning-and-Economic-Development/compton-creek-regional-garden-park-master-plan.html
- KCET Departures on Compton Creek interview with Alex Kenefick on Compton Creek