San Diego River
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The San Diego River is a
river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
in
San Diego County, California San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the fi ...
. It originates in the
Cuyamaca Mountains The Cuyamaca Mountains ( Kumeyaay: ''‘Ekwiiyemak''), locally the Cuyamacas, are a mountain range of the Peninsular Ranges System, in San Diego County, southern California. The mountain range runs roughly northwest to southeast. The Laguna Mount ...
northwest of the town of Julian, then flows to the southwest until it reaches the
El Capitan Reservoir El Capitan Reservoir is a reservoir in central San Diego County, California. It is in the Cuyamaca Mountains, about northeast of the city of San Diego and two miles northwest of the town of Alpine. The reservoir is formed by El Capitan Dam ...
, the largest
reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
in the river's watershed at . Below El Capitan Dam, the river runs west through
Santee Santee may refer to: People * Santee Dakota, a subgroup of the Dakota people, of the U.S. Great Plains * Santee (South Carolina), a Native American people of South Carolina Places * Lake Santee, Indiana, a reservoir and census-designated place * ...
and
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
. While passing through
Tierrasanta Tierrasanta, Spanish for "holy land," or "holy ground", is a community within the city of San Diego, California. The symbol of Tierrasanta is an encircled Conquistador cross, similar to one atop Montserrat (mountain) near Barcelona, Spain, though ...
it goes through
Mission Trails Regional Park Mission Trails Regional Park is a open space preserve within the city of San Diego, California, established in 1974. It is the sixth-largest municipally owned park in the United States, and the largest in California. Description The park cons ...
, one of the largest urban parks in America. It flows near the
Mission San Diego de Alcalá Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá ( es, Misión San Diego de Alcalá) was the second Franciscan founded mission in The Californias (after San Fernando de Velicata), a province of New Spain. Located in present-day San Diego, California, it ...
. The river's valley downstream from there is known as
Mission Valley Mission Valley is a wide river valley trending east–west in San Diego, California, United States, through which the San Diego River flows to the Pacific Ocean. For planning purposes the city of San Diego divides it into two neighborhoods: Miss ...
for that reason. The valley forms a transportation corridor for
Interstate 8 Interstate 8 (I-8) is an Interstate Highway in the southwestern United States. It runs from the southern edge of Mission Bay at Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in San Diego, California, almost at the Pacific Ocean, to the junction with I-10, ...
and for the San Diego Trolley Green Line. The river discharges into 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 ...
near the entrance to Mission Bay, forming an
estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
.


History

The river has changed its course several times in recorded history. Prior to 1821, the San Diego River usually entered
San Diego Harbor San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port located in San Diego County, California near the U.S.–Mexico border. The bay, which is long and wide, is the third largest of the three large, protected natural bays on California's of c ...
. In the fall of 1821, however, a flood changed the river channel in one night, and the greater volume of the flow was diverted into what was then known as False Bay (now referred to as Mission Bay), leaving only a small stream still flowing into the harbor (J. C. Hayes 1874). This flood was remarkable in that no rain fell along the coast. The river was later observed to flow into San Diego Harbor in 1849 and 1856, and the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey map of 1859 shows it to be flowing there once again. Because of the high deposition rate of the river, which threatened to ruin San Diego Bay as a harbor, the federal government diverted the flow into Mission Bay and built a levee embankment of earth extending from near Old Town to Point Loma in the fall of 1853 (Derby 1853). Later that year, heavy rains caused the river to change course once again, washing out part of the levee and resuming its old course into the harbor (San Diego Herald 1855). The worst flood in this area was in 1862. This was part of the Great Flood of 1862, which impacted the entire
Western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...
, and had a bearing on the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. In San Diego,
Mission Valley Mission Valley is a wide river valley trending east–west in San Diego, California, United States, through which the San Diego River flows to the Pacific Ocean. For planning purposes the city of San Diego divides it into two neighborhoods: Miss ...
was inundated, and houses in lower
Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
were flooded when severe winds from a sea storm from the south backed the water up from the bay into the river (Pourade 1964:250). This flood was very significant because it held its peak for over twenty-four hours. In 1876, the levee was reconstructed, and no further diversions into San Diego Bay have occurred. Since then, a considerable volume of sediment has been added to the San Diego River delta in Mission Bay from occasional floods. In 1935 El Capitan Dam was constructed 27 miles up the San Diego River; this reduced the sediment entering the bay considerably. An earlier dam was overtopped in 1916, increasing the floodwaters coming down Mission Valley at the time. The Mission Bay and San Diego River jetties were built in 1948, at a time when the shore of the bay was subject to alternating periods of recession and advance. By February 1951, the river levees had been connected to the jetties. All tidal flow was confined to a new channel. Since the river discharges only during flooding, the middle channel was soon completely filled. The channels were finished by 1955, after various difficulties were overcome and the jetties were considerably lengthened so that shallow bars would not form in the entrance.


Water rights

In 1921, the city of San Diego filed suit against the Cuyamaca Water Company to establish its paramount right to the water of the San Diego River. After several court cases, the California State Supreme Court declared in 1929 that the city's right was paramount because under Spanish and Mexican laws, the pueblo of San Diego was given exclusive rights to the use of the San Diego River, both surface and underground. The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo obligated the U.S. to protect the grants and privileges decreed under the old rule.


Course

The river travels from its headwaters to the ocean. The river's tributaries include: * Oak Canyon Creek *
Spring Canyon Creek Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a he ...
* Forester Creek *
Los Coches Creek Los Coches Creek is a tributary of the San Diego River in southern San Diego County, California.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 16, 2011 It has its source 3 miles e ...
* San Vicente Creek *
Wildcat Canyon Creek The wildcat is a species complex comprising two Felinae, small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, wh ...
*
Chocolate Creek Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civi ...
* Conejos Creek * Sand Creek *
Isham Creek Isham is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is on the A509 road, three miles south of Kettering and a mile to the west of Burton Latimer. The River Ise is to the east of the village. Administratively, it forms part of ...
* Boulder Creek * Cedar Creek * Ritchie Creek * Dye Canyon Creek * Iron Springs Canyon Creek * Temescal Creek * Sentenac Creek * Coleman Creek **
Baily Creek Baily may refer to: People *Baily (surname) *Baily Cargill (born 1995), English footballer Places *Baily (crater), lunar crater *Baily Head, Deception Island, Antarctica *Baily House, Newark, Delaware, United States *An area of Howth in North Co ...
*** Jim Green Creek **** Boring Creek **** Marriette Creek ** Eastwood Creek Four additional reservoirs lie in the river's watershed.
Cuyamaca Reservoir Lake Cuyamaca, also called Cuyamaca Reservoir, is a reservoir and a recreation area in the eastern Cuyamaca Mountains, located in eastern San Diego County, California. Geography California State Route 79 wraps around three shores, and provides ...
is located on Boulder Creek and
San Vicente Reservoir San Vicente Reservoir is a reservoir created by the San Vicente Dam in San Diego County, California. It is located in the Cuyamaca Mountains, approximately north of Lakeside off California State Route 67. Description The reservoir is formed by ...
is fed by San Vicente Creek. Lake Jennings and Lake Murray are formed by the
dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...
ming of
canyon A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...
s. The
San Diego River Park Foundation The San Diego River Park Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public-benefit corporation that aims to create a continuous green belt (park) along the 52 mile long San Diego River. Mission statement The mission of the San Diego River Park Foundation is to im ...
was founded in 2001 and is dedicated to conserving the water, wildlife, recreation, culture and community involved with the San Diego River. The San Diego River Conservancy was established by an act of the California Legislature to preserve, restore and enhance the San Diego River area. The Conservancy is a non-regulatory agency of the state government with an independent nine-member governing board. It is tasked to acquire, manage and conserve land and to protect or provide recreational opportunities, open space, wildlife species and habitat, wetlands, water quality, natural flood conveyance, historical/cultural resources, and educational opportunities. One important goal is to help create a river-long park and hiking trail, stretching the full length of the river from its headwaters in the Cuyamaca Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.San Diego River Conservancy website
/ref> Image:Sandiegoriver1.jpg, Mouth Image:Sandiegoriver3.jpg, Channel south of Mission Bay Image:Sandiegoriver4.jpg, Crossing in Mission Trail Regional Park Image:Sandiegoriver5.jpg, Old Mission Dam in Mission Trails Regional Park Image:Sandiegoriver6.jpg, Coast to Crest Trail crosses river near headwaters


Crossings

From mouth to source:


San Diego

*Sunset Cliffs Boulevard/Sea World Drive *West Mission Bay Drive/Sports Arena Boulevard *
Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...
(
San Diego Freeway The San Diego Freeway is one of the named principal Southern California freeways. It consists of the following two segments: * Interstate 5, from California State Route 94 in San Diego to Interstate 405 (El Toro Y) in Irvine * Interstate 405, in ...
) *Pacific Highway *
NCTD The North County Transit District (typically abbreviated as NCTD) is the agency responsible for public transportation in Northern San Diego County, California. The agency manages the COASTER commuter rail service between Oceanside and San Dieg ...
's
Coaster Coaster (stylized as COASTER) is a commuter rail service in the central and northern coastal regions of San Diego County, California, United States operated by the North County Transit District (NCTD). The commuter rail line features eight s ...
&
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
Pacific Surfliner The ''Pacific Surfliner'' is a passenger train service serving the communities on the coast of Southern California between San Diego and San Luis Obispo. The service carried 2,924,117 passengers during fiscal year 2016, a 3.4% increase from F ...
*
San Diego Trolley The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. It is known colloquially as "The Trolley". The Trolley's operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. (SDTI), is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Tra ...
Blue Line *San Diego Trolley Green Line *Morena Boulevard *San Diego Trolley Green Line *Fashion Valley Road *Avenida Del Rio * State Route 163 (
Cabrillo Freeway Cabrillo may refer to: People * Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the first European to explore California. Places, buildings and structures * Cabrillo Beach, a section of San Pedro, California near Point Fermin * Cabrillo Bridge, San Diego, California ...
) *Mission Center Road & San Diego Trolley Green Line *Camino Del Este & San Diego Trolley Green Line *Qualcomm Way *
Interstate 805 Interstate 805 (I-805) is a major north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass auxiliary route of I-5, running roughly through the center of the Greater San Diego region from San Ysidro (part of the c ...
Mission Valley Viaduct (
Jacob Dekema Freeway Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Ja ...
) *
Interstate The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
& State Route 15 (
Escondido Freeway The Escondido Freeway is one of the named principal Southern California freeways. It consists of the following segments: *California State Route 15, from Interstate 5 southeast of Downtown San Diego and Interstate 8 in San Diego *Interstate 15 I ...
) *Rancho Mission Road/Ward Road & San Diego Trolley Green Line *San Diego Mission Road/Twain Avenue *Friars Road


Santee

*West Hills Parkway * State Route 52 *Carlton Hills Boulevard *Cuyamaca Street *Magnolia Avenue


Lakeside

*Riverford Road *Channel Road * State Route 67 *Ashwood Street *El Capitan Dam


Julian

* State Routes 78 & 79


References


External links


San Diego River Watershed Management Plan

San Diego River Park Foundation

Lakeside's River Park Conservancy
{{Authority control Rivers of San Diego County, California Cuyamaca Mountains Geography of San Diego San Diego metropolitan area Ocean Beach, San Diego Santee, California San Diego Bay watershed Watersheds of California Mission Valley, San Diego Parks in San Diego Rivers of Southern California