The West Fork is one of two major streams, the other being the
East Fork, that combine to form the
San Gabriel River in
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. The West Fork flows for
in an easterly direction from its origins at Red Box Gap, in the
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains ( es, Sierra de San Gabriel) are a mountain range located in northern Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range is part of the Tr ...
, eventually reaching
San Gabriel Reservoir where it is bridged by
SR 39 just above its mouth.
The major tributaries of the West Fork, from upstream to downstream, are Devil Creek, Bear Creek and the
North Fork San Gabriel River
The North Fork San Gabriel River is a tributary, long, of the West Fork San Gabriel River in the Angeles National Forest of Los Angeles County, California. The river originates at the confluence of Soldier Creek and Coldbrook Creek in the San Gab ...
. A large portion of the watershed is situated in the
San Gabriel Wilderness
The San Gabriel Wilderness is a wilderness area created in 1968 of more than 36,118 acres (150 km2) within the Angeles National Forest and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.
The area lies on the southern slopes of the San Gabriel Moun ...
, whose southern boundary is formed by the West Fork.
Cogswell Dam
Cogswell Dam is a rockfill dam on the West Fork of the San Gabriel River in Los Angeles County, California. It is located in the San Gabriel Mountains, northeast of Mount Wilson, and within the Angeles National Forest.
It forms Cogswell Reser ...
impounds the river to create the Cogswell Reservoir, whose primary function is flood and silt control for the
San Gabriel Valley
The San Gabriel Valley ( es, Valle de San Gabriel) is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, lying immediately to the east of the eastern city limits of the city of Los Angeles, and occupying the vast majority of the eastern part ...
.The West Fork of the San Gabriel River is a refuge for Southern California wild rainbow trout.
See also
*
List of rivers of California
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of California, grouped by region. Major lakes and reservoirs, if applicable, are indicated in italics.
North Coast (north of Humboldt Bay)
Rivers and streams between the Oregon border and Humboldt Bay th ...
References
Rivers of Los Angeles County, California
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