Estrella River
Encyclopedia
The Estrella River is a 28.5 miles (45.9 km) river
in eastern San Luis Obispo County, California
. The river forms at the confluence of Cholame Creek, from the north, and San Juan Creek, from the south, near the town of Shandon
. From there it flows west-northwest to the Salinas River
, of which it is a tributary.
Cholame Creek has its headwaters on the southwest side of Middle Mountain and its tributary, Little Cholame Creek, begins on the northeast side. The creek drains the Cholame Valley, which is bordered by Diablo Range
on the east and Cholame Hills, a northern extension of the Temblor Range
, on the west. The average precipitation
in the area ranges from 11 to 17 in (27.9 to 43.2 ), increasing northward.
A portion of the Temblor Range drains into San Juan Creek, but the nearby Carrizo Plain
has been cutoff from the watershed
by tectonic action. The creek also drains part of the La Panza Range in the southwest of the watershed. The vast majority of the land in the watershed is rangeland, but there is also some cropland, pastureland and developed areas.
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 eastern San Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County is a county located along the Pacific Ocean in the Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census its population was 269,637, up from 246,681 at the 2000 census...
. The river forms at the confluence of Cholame Creek, from the north, and San Juan Creek, from the south, near the town of Shandon
Shandon, California
Shandon is a census-designated place in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. The population was 1,295 at the 2010 census, up from 986 at the 2000 census.-Setting:...
. From there it flows west-northwest to the Salinas River
Salinas River (California)
The Salinas River is the largest river of the central coast of California, running and draining 4,160 square miles. It flows north-northwest and drains the Salinas Valley that slices through the Coast Range south from Monterey Bay...
, of which it is a tributary.
Cholame Creek has its headwaters on the southwest side of Middle Mountain and its tributary, Little Cholame Creek, begins on the northeast side. The creek drains the Cholame Valley, which is bordered by Diablo Range
Diablo Range
The Diablo Range is a mountain range in the California Coast Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Coast Ranges. It is located in the eastern San Francisco Bay area south to the Salinas Valley area of northern California, the United States.-Geography:...
on the east and Cholame Hills, a northern extension of the Temblor Range
Temblor Range
The Temblor Range is a mountain range within the California Coast Ranges, at the southwestern extremity of the San Joaquin Valley in California in the United States. It runs in a northwest-southeasterly direction along the borders of Kern County and San Luis Obispo County. The name of the range is...
, on the west. The average precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
in the area ranges from 11 to 17 in (27.9 to 43.2 ), increasing northward.
A portion of the Temblor Range drains into San Juan Creek, but the nearby Carrizo Plain
Carrizo Plain
The Carrizo Plain is a large enclosed plain, approximately 50 miles long and up to 15 miles across, in southeastern San Luis Obispo County, California, about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles, California...
has been cutoff from the 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...
by tectonic action. The creek also drains part of the La Panza Range in the southwest of the watershed. The vast majority of the land in the watershed is rangeland, but there is also some cropland, pastureland and developed areas.