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Coyote Creek
North Fork of Coyote Creek in La Mirada
Map of the Coyote Creek watershed
Etymology	Unknown
Location
Country	United States
State	California
Counties	Orange County, Riverside County, Los Angeles, San Bernardino
Cities	Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, Hawaiian Gardens, La Habra, Lakewood, La Palma, Long Beach,
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Orange County, California
• coordinates	33°56′49″N 117°57′31″W / 33.94694°N 117.95861°W / 33.94694; -117.95861
• elevation	2,300 ft (700 m)
Mouth	San Gabriel River
• coordinates	33°47′41″N 118°05′24″W / 33.79472°N 118.09000°W / 33.79472; -118.09000
• elevation	0 ft (0 m)
Length	13.7 mi (22.0 km)
Basin size	41.3 sq mi (107 km)
Discharge
• location	Los Alamitos
• average	43.5 cu ft/s (1.23 m/s)
• minimum	24 cu ft/s (0.68 m/s)
• maximum	14,300 cu ft/s (400 m/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Brea Creek, Fullerton Creek, Carbon Creek
• right	La Canada Verde Creek

Coyote Creek is a principal tributary of the San Gabriel River in northwest Orange County and southeast Los Angeles County, California. It drains a land area of roughly 41.3 square miles (107 km) covering eight major cities, including Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, Hawaiian Gardens, La Habra, Lakewood, La Palma, and Long Beach. Some major tributaries of the creek in the highly urbanized watershed include Brea Creek, Fullerton Creek, and Carbon Creek. The mostly-flat creek basin is separated by a series of low mountains, and is bounded by several small mountain ranges, including the Chino Hills, Puente Hills, and West Coyote Hills.

Course

Coyote Creek is roughly 13.7 miles (22.0 km) long and flows generally southwest, while its North Fork, shown on federal maps as La Canada Verde Creek, measures 9.1 miles (14.6 km). The longest single tributary is Carbon Creek, which flows 13.6 miles (21.9 km), followed closely by Fullerton Creek, which measures 13.0 miles (20.9 km). Two major flood control reservoirs, Brea Reservoir and Fullerton Reservoir, are located in the watershed and feed into Brea Creek and Fullerton Creek, respectively. Brea Creek and Tonner Canyon form the uppermost reaches of the watershed. Coyote Creek joins the San Gabriel River very near its mouth in Long Beach.

Beginning at the border of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, Coyote Creek rises in two forks in the northwesterly corner of the latter county. As it goes south, it turns west and quickly acquires many south-flowing streams on its right bank. The creek is soon joined by Imperial Creek as it begins to flow southwest through a series of flood control channels, alternatively earth- and concrete-lined. The somewhat-haphazardly-constructed channel is described as being either concrete-lined, "composite," trapezoidal, or riprap. After having crossed the Los-Angeles–Orange County border three times, Coyote Creek receives its first major tributary, the 9.8-mile (15.8 km) Brea Creek, on the right bank.

Brea Creek begins in the far northeastern corner of the watershed, at the border of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. The creek flows southwest, receiving numerous mountain tributaries on both banks. As it briefly turns north, it receives Tonner Canyon (also spelled Toner) on the left bank. Tonner Canyon begins in the vicinity of Brea Canyon, and flows south-southwest until it turns northwest and joins Brea. From the confluence downstream, the combined waters are called Brea Creek. The creek then proceeds to enter increasingly urbanized landscape, then flows into Brea Reservoir, which functions mainly for flood control. The creek then turns due west and flows into Coyote Creek on the left bank.

After receiving the water of Brea Creek, Coyote Creek continues southwest, passing beneath Interstate 5, while bending south for a brief stretch before turning back north. Shortly downstream from the confluence, it is joined by its North Fork, or La Canada Verde Creek. The 9.1-mile-long (14.6 km) North Fork begins in three forks, which merge and flow due south. The creek is joined by a small tributary on the left bank and then receives a larger tributary, La Mirada Creek, on the left bank. The creek then continues directly south through a flood control channel before meeting Coyote Creek. Soon after the confluence, the third major tributary, Fullerton Creek, joins Coyote on the left bank.

Fullerton Creek begins several miles south of Tonner Canyon, and initially flows west-northwest. The creek then bends sharply south and flows into Fullerton Reservoir, which, like Brea Reservoir, also serves a flood-control function. The creek then flows southwest and south, before flowing nearly at a right angle into another unnamed tributary. The creek sharply turns due west, and continues winding through predominantly residential suburbs, before flowing into Coyote on the left bank. The combined waters then continue southwest and soon flow beneath California State Route 91.

Several miles after State Route 91, a smaller tributary, Moody Creek, joins Coyote Creek on the left bank. Moody Creek begins parallel to SR 91, and flows only about 3.7 miles (6.0 km) before it joins Coyote Creek.

The fourth major tributary, the 13.6-mile (21.9 km) Carbon Creek, then joins on the left bank. Carbon Creek is a mostly-channelized course, beginning almost 10 miles (16 km) south of Brea and Tonner Canyons. The creek flows west and south into several small flood-control basins, before resuming its west-southwest course and receiving several small tributaries on either bank. The creek flows into Coyote Creek very near its mouth at the San Gabriel River, on the left bank.

Streamflow

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) operated two stream gauges on Coyote Creek. From 1965 to 1978, the USGS recorded flows at Los Alamitos, California, which is at its confluence with the San Gabriel River. The highest flow recorded there was 14,300 cubic feet per second (400 m/s), and with three other high flows exceeding ten thousand cfs.

For Brea Creek streamflow data see Brea Creek#Streamflow.

For Fullerton Creek, the USGS operated two stream gauges from 1936 to 1964. The highest flow during that period (mouth, at Fullerton) was 1,600 cubic feet per second (45 m/s) on 14 March 1941. In that time period, no other flow passed 1,000 cfs, although it did come close to on 2 March 1938 (the peak of the Los Angeles Flood of 1938).

From 1962 to 2008, the USGS only ran one streamflow gauge for Carbon Creek, which was below Carbon Canyon Dam. The highest recorded flow during that period was 741 cubic feet (21.0 m) per second, on 19 February 2005.

Watershed

Geography and geology

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2009)

Coyote Creek drains a roughly diamond-shaped watershed between the drainage basins of the San Gabriel and Santa Ana rivers, bounded on the north by the small mountain ranges Chino Hills, Puente Hills and West Coyote Hills. The watershed, with the exception of these hills, a small partial divide inside the watershed, and several recreational areas, such as Chino Hills State Park, is almost entirely developed, and is in sharp contrast to the San Gabriel River watershed viewed as a whole, which in total has only twenty-six percent of its area developed.

Biology

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2009)

Although channelized in many areas along its course, Coyote Creek and its tributaries provide some rich habitat for riparian and other species, including salt marsh instream, as well as coastal sage scrub, live oak, grassland and sand dunes. Native wildlife is common in the areas described, especially in the far upper reaches of the watershed, which include Brea and Tonner canyons. Aside from the native wildlife, a number of invasive species, both plant and animal, also inhabit the watershed.

History

The Army Corps of Engineers expanded the channel and lined the creek with concrete beginning in the early 1960s. A young boy drowned in 1963, while playing on a makeshift raft, on the water behind a temporary dam built for the project.

Crossings

From mouth to source:

• East Willow Street/Katella Avenue
• I-605 - San Gabriel River Freeway
• East Spring Street/West Cerritos Avenue
• Norwalk Boulevard/Los Alamitos Boulevard
• Wardlow Road
• Lincoln Avenue
• Centralia Street
• Railroad (West Santa Ana Branch, disused)
• Del Amo Boulevard/La Palma Avenue
• Carmenita Road/Moody Street
• South Street/Orangethorpe Avenue
• SR 91 - Artesia Freeway
• Walker Street
• Valley View Street
• Artesia Boulevard
• Railroad
• Firestone Boulevard (frontage road on southwest side of I-5)
• I-5 - Santa Ana Freeway
• Firestone Boulevard (frontage road on northeast side of I-5)
• Knott Avenue
• Railroad (Union Pacific)
• Stage Road
• CR N8 - La Mirada Boulevard
• Rosecrans Avenue
• Hillsborough Drive
• Imperial Highway
• SR 39 - Beach Boulevard
• Fashion Square Lane
• South Idaho Street
• West Lambert Road
• South Monte Vista Street
• South Walnut Street
• Euclid Street
• South Cypress Street
• Railroad
• South Harbor Boulevard
• Two railroads

See also

• Coyote Creek bicycle path
• List of rivers of California
• List of rivers of Orange County, California

v t e Places adjacent to Coyote Creek (San Gabriel River tributary)
Brea Creek San Gabriel River Coyote Creek Santa Ana River Talbert Drainage District Moody Creek

References

1. ^ "Coyote Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
2. ^ "USGS 11090700 Coyote Creek at Los Alamitos CA: Monthly Statistics". United States Geological Survey. nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
3. "The San Gabriel River Watershed". Know Your Watershed. The River Project. Archived from the original on 9 February 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
4. "Introduction to Coyote Creek Watershed". Watershed and Coastal Resources Division of Orange County. ocwatersheds.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
5. "Coyote Creek Watershed – Land Use". Watershed and Coastal Resources Division of Orange County. ocwatersheds.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2009. Note: The Orange County California Watershed Site notes that "Orange County, California is a rapid developing area. Land Use is constantly changing and this information may not reflect the current conditions of the land."
6. ^ "Coyote Creek Watershed and Elevation Ranges". Watershed and Coastal Resources Division of Orange County. ocwatersheds.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
7. ^ "Summary of Existing Conditions Data: Coyote Creek Watershed Management Plan" (PDF). CH2M HILL. ocwatersheds.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 October 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
8. ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 29 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 16 March 2011
9. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: La Canada Verde Creek
10. "USGS 11090000: Fullerton Creek at Fullerton, CA". United States Geological Survey. nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
11. "USGS 11075720: Carbon Creek Below Carbon Canyon Dam CA". United States Geological Survey. nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
12. "San Gabriel River Watershed". Los Angeles Department of Public Works. lacounty.gov. Archived from the original on 5 August 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
13. "USGS Feature Details (Coyote Creek)". Retrieved 9 September 2022.

External links

• Coyote Creek Watershed - Pollutants map

v t e Greater Los Angeles Area
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Cities and towns	Central city Los Angeles 200k–500k Anaheim Fontana Irvine Long Beach Moreno Valley Oxnard Riverside San Bernardino Santa Ana Santa Clarita 100k−200k Burbank Corona Costa Mesa Downey El Monte Fullerton Garden Grove Glendale Huntington Beach Inglewood Jurupa Valley Lancaster Murrieta Menifee Norwalk Ontario Orange Palmdale Pasadena Pomona Rancho Cucamonga Rialto Simi Valley Temecula Thousand Oaks Torrance Ventura Victorville West Covina 50k–100k Alhambra Aliso Viejo Apple Valley Arcadia Azusa Baldwin Park Beaumont Bellflower Buena Park Camarillo Carson Cathedral City Chino Chino Hills Colton Compton Covina Cypress Diamond Bar Eastvale Fountain Valley Gardena Glendora Hacienda Heights Hawthorne Hemet Hesperia Highland Indio La Habra Laguna Niguel Lake Elsinore Lake Forest Lakewood Lynwood Mission Viejo Monrovia Montebello Monterey Park Newport Beach Palm Desert Paramount Perris Pico Rivera Placentia Redlands Redondo Beach Rosemead San Clemente San Jacinto Santa Monica South Gate Tustin Upland Westminster Whittier Yorba Linda Yucaipa 25k–50k Adelanto Banning Barstow Bell Bell Gardens Beverly Hills Brea Cerritos Claremont Coachella Culver City Dana Point Desert Hot Springs La Mirada La Puente La Quinta La Verne Laguna Hills Lawndale Manhattan Beach Maywood Monrovia Montclair Moorpark Norco Palm Springs Rancho Palos Verdes Rancho Santa Margarita San Dimas San Gabriel San Juan Capistrano Santa Paula Seal Beach South Pasadena Stanton Temple City Twentynine Palms Walnut West Hollywood Wildomar 10k–25k Agoura Hills Artesia Blythe Calabasas Calimesa Canyon Lake Commerce Cudahy Duarte El Segundo Fillmore Grand Terrace Hawaiian Gardens Hermosa Beach La Cañada Flintridge La Palma Laguna Beach Laguna Woods Loma Linda Lomita Los Alamitos Malibu Palos Verdes Estates Port Hueneme Rancho Mirage San Fernando San Marino Santa Fe Springs Sierra Madre Signal Hill South El Monte Yucca Valley Under 10k Avalon Big Bear Lake Bradbury City of Industry Hidden Hills Indian Wells Irwindale La Habra Heights Needles Ojai Rolling Hills Rolling Hills Estates Vernon Villa Park Westlake Village
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Bodies of water	Aliso Creek Arroyo Calabasas Arroyo Seco Ballona Creek Bell Creek Big Bear Lake Coyote Creek Lake Arrowhead Lake Gregory Lake Perris Lake Piru Los Angeles Aqueduct Los Angeles River Malibu Creek Mojave River Pacific Ocean Pyramid Lake Rio Hondo San Gabriel River San Juan Creek San Pedro Bay Santa Ana River Santa Clara River Santa Margarita River Santa Monica Bay Tujunga Wash

• San Gabriel River (California)
• Rivers of Orange County, California
• Chino Hills (California)
• Puente Hills
• Buena Park, California
• Fullerton, California
• La Habra, California
• Rivers of Southern California