Jalama Creek
| Jalama Creek | |
|---|---|
 Jalama Creek Lagoon Panorama courtesy of Matt Stoecker 2001 | |
  Location of mouth | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Region | Santa Barbara County, California |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Western Santa Ynez Mountains |
| • location | 8.5 miles (13.7 km) west-northwest of Gaviota, California |
| • coordinates | 34°30′04″N 120°21′39″W / 34.50111°N 120.36083°W[1] |
| • elevation | 1,610 ft (490 m) 34° 30' 9.95" N 120° 21' 39.57" W |
| Mouth | Confluence with the Pacific Ocean |
• location | 4.6 miles (7.4 km) north of Point Conception |
• coordinates | 34°30′40″N 120°30′10″W / 34.51111°N 120.50278°W[1] |
• elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Length | 11.3 mi (18.2 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • right | Escondido Creek, Gasper Creek, Espada Creek |
Jalama Creek is a 11.3-mile-long (18.2 km)[2] westwards-flowing stream that begins in the western Santa Ynez Mountains and flows to Jalama Creek estuary and Jalama Beach County Park and the Pacific Ocean.
History
[edit]Jalama Creek and the historic Jalama station are derived from the Purisimeño Chumash village named "Xalam", meaning "bundle".[3]
Watershed and course
[edit]The Jalama Creek watershed drains 24 square miles (62 km2) of the western Santa Ynez Mountains.[4] Flows in the upper reaches are seasonal, becoming perennial at the confluence with its Escondido Creek tributary about 3.6 miles (5.8 km) from its creek mouth.[4] 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
[edit]Jalama Creek and its estuary are home to federally endangered Southern California steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).[5][6][7] In 2017, The Nature Conservancy 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.[7] The Nature Conservancy removed two dams on lower Jalama Creek, restoring access for steelhead trout to 12.3 miles (19.8 km) of the stream.
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Jalama Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, accessed October 14, 2023
- ^ Erwin S. Gudde (1998). California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Name. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. p. 182. ISBN 978-0-520-26619-3.
- ^ a b Peter Osmolovsky and Mary Hamilton (March 27, 2013). Total Maximum Daily Loads Technical Report and Recommendations for Site-Specific Numeric Water Quality Criteria for Chloride and Sodium for the Jalama Creek Subwatershed, Santa Barbara County, California - Final Project Report (Report). San Luis Obispo, California: California Regional Water Quality Control Board Central Coast Region. p. 75.
- ^ Matt W. Stoecker. Steelhead Assessment and Recovery Opportunities in Southern Santa Barbara County, California (PDF) (Report). Santa Barbara, California: Conception Coast Project. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
- ^ Gordon S. Becker; Isabelle J. Reining (October 1, 2008). Steelhead/rainbow trout resources of Santa Barbara County (PDF) (Report). Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration (CEMAR). Retrieved October 14, 2023.
- ^ a b Louis Sahagún (October 14, 2023). "Environmentalists are turning a rugged stretch of California coast into a lab for conservation". Los Angeles, California: Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 14, 2023.