Jalama Creek is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
, accessed October 14, 2023 westwards-flowing stream that begins in the western
Santa Ynez Mountains and flows to Jalama Creek estuary and
Jalama Beach County Park
Jalama Beach County Park is a seaside campground and park located at the mouth of Jalama Creek in Santa Barbara County, California, approximately southwest of Lompoc, California, off California State Route 1.
History
Jalama was once the site ...
and the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
.
History
Jalama Creek and the historic Jalama station are derived from the
Purisimeño Chumash village named "Xalam", meaning "bundle".
Watershed and course
The Jalama Creek watershed drains of the western Santa Ynez Mountains.
Flows in the upper reaches are seasonal, becoming perennial at the confluence with its Escondido Creek tributary about from its creek mouth.
[ Further downstream the next two tributaries are Gasper Creek and Espada Creek, after which it reaches the Jalama Creek estuary, and ultimately, the Pacific Ocean.
]
Ecology and conservation
Jalama Creek and its estuary are home to federally endangered Southern California steelhead trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'').The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US.
Founded in 1951, The Natu ...
purchased 24,329 acres of land in the area, now renamed the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve, which covers 97% of the Jalama Creek watershed. Over 100 studies of the areas biology and ecology are underway.[ The Nature Conservancy removed two dams on lower Jalama Creek, restoring access for steelhead trout to of the stream.
]
See also
* Santa Ynez Mountains
*Jalama Beach County Park
Jalama Beach County Park is a seaside campground and park located at the mouth of Jalama Creek in Santa Barbara County, California, approximately southwest of Lompoc, California, off California State Route 1.
History
Jalama was once the site ...
References
External links
The Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve
{{Authority control
Rivers of Santa Barbara County, California
Rivers of California