San Antonio Creek (San Bernardino County)
Encyclopedia
San Antonio Creek is a major stream in San Bernardino County, California
, draining southwards from Mount San Antonio
in the San Gabriel Mountains
into Chino Creek
, a tributary of the Santa Ana River
. The creek is 20.7 miles (33.3 km) long and has a drainage basin
of about 37 mi2. Upon entering the lowlands of the Inland Empire
, it is known as the San Antonio Wash or the San Antonio Creek Channel, the former referring to the creek's dry nature below the mouth of San Antonio Canyon.
It rises on the southeast flank of Mount San Antonio, the highest peak in the San Gabriel mountain range. The stream flows southwest through San Antonio Canyon and past Mount Baldy Village, then south, winding through the Angeles National Forest
. At the end of the gorge, it reaches the San Antonio Dam, but after passing through the dam, the stream is usually dry. It flows south through a concrete flood control channel
, passing Claremont
and Chino
. The creek joins Chino Creek in northwestern Chino, 9 miles (14.5 km) upstream from the larger stream's mouth at the Santa An.
The creek's upper canyon was the site of some of the heaviest gold mining activity in the San Gabriels during the mid-19th century. When the gold deposits petered out, the streambanks played host to various mountain resort camps beginning in the early 20th century. Also around this time, canals were built from the mouth of San Antonio Canyon to irrigate farms in the creek's wide floodplain
. The Los Angeles Flood of 1938
destroyed much of the early development along the creek. The San Antonio Dam was built in the 1960s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide flood control. In recent years, the watershed has become much more urbanized, and the headwaters region is mainly used for recreation, specifically skiing
.
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...
, draining southwards from Mount San Antonio
Mount San Antonio
Mount San Antonio, commonly known as Old Baldy or Mt Baldy, at , is the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, and the highest point in Los Angeles County...
in the San Gabriel Mountains
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
into Chino Creek
Chino Creek
Chino Creek is a major stream of the Inland Empire in Southern California in the United States. Although the main stem is short at about , it drains an extensive basin of from the San Gabriel Mountains to the Santa Ana River near Corona...
, 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...
. The creek is 20.7 miles (33.3 km) long and has a drainage basin
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...
of about 37 mi2. Upon entering the lowlands of the Inland Empire
Inland Empire (California)
The Inland Empire is a region in Southern California. The region sits directly east of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Inland Empire most commonly is used in reference to the U.S. Census Bureau's federally-defined Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area, which covers more than...
, it is known as the San Antonio Wash or the San Antonio Creek Channel, the former referring to the creek's dry nature below the mouth of San Antonio Canyon.
It rises on the southeast flank of Mount San Antonio, the highest peak in the San Gabriel mountain range. The stream flows southwest through San Antonio Canyon and past Mount Baldy Village, then south, winding through the Angeles National Forest
Angeles National Forest
The Angeles National Forest of the U.S. National Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, southern California. It was established on July 1, 1908, incorporating the first San Bernardino National Forest and parts of the former Santa Barbara and San Gabriel...
. At the end of the gorge, it reaches the San Antonio Dam, but after passing through the dam, the stream is usually dry. It flows south through a concrete 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...
, passing Claremont
Claremont, California
Claremont is a small affluent college town in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population as of the 2010 census is 34,926. Claremont is known for its seven higher-education institutions, its...
and Chino
Chino, California
Chino is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is located in the western end of the Riverside-San Bernardino Area and it is easily accessible via the Chino Valley and Pomona freeways....
. The creek joins Chino Creek in northwestern Chino, 9 miles (14.5 km) upstream from the larger stream's mouth at the Santa An.
The creek's upper canyon was the site of some of the heaviest gold mining activity in the San Gabriels during the mid-19th century. When the gold deposits petered out, the streambanks played host to various mountain resort camps beginning in the early 20th century. Also around this time, canals were built from the mouth of San Antonio Canyon to irrigate farms in the creek's wide floodplain
Floodplain
A 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...
. The Los Angeles Flood of 1938
Los Angeles Flood of 1938
The Los Angeles Flood of 1938 or 1938 Los Angeles flood was a major flooding event that was responsible for inundating much of Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties, California, during early 1938...
destroyed much of the early development along the creek. The San Antonio Dam was built in the 1960s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide flood control. In recent years, the watershed has become much more urbanized, and the headwaters region is mainly used for recreation, specifically skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
.