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56-469: San Juan Creek begins in the southern Santa Ana Mountains , a few miles northwest of Lake Elsinore . Its highest elevation is 5,100 feet (1,600 m) above sea level. Paralleling the Ortega Highway ( California State Route 74 ) the creek flows erratically south, west and occasionally northwest. In the furthest upper reaches of the watershed, the creek is typically ephemeral . The creek channel in

112-693: A few miles south of the Trabuco Creek headwaters and a few miles north of Hot Spring Canyon , also a tributary of San Juan Creek. The headwaters are in the Trabuco Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest , about 8 miles (13 km) east of Rancho Santa Margarita . Bell Creek flows through a 1.5-mile (2.4 km)-wide, 1,200-foot (370 m)-deep canyon for 4 miles (6.4 km) before turning southwest for about 1.5 miles (2.4 km). Narrowly following

168-477: A fresh-water lagoon 900 feet (270 m) south of the north end of Doheny State Beach , created by a tongue of sand that blocks the water from reaching the ocean. At its maximum extent, the lagoon forms a small lake that extends beneath the highway. Occasionally, the sand berm impounding the water is breached, causing massive runoff into the ocean. Despite the almost constant blockage of San Juan Creek here, it has been said that subsurface outflow also occurs through

224-615: A highway tunnel through the Santa Ana Mountains, although the multibillion-dollar idea has drawn criticism from environmentalists and others concerned about cost and safety in the earthquake-prone region. While Highway 91 is one of the most congested routes in California, Highway 74 holds a more ominous claim as one of the most dangerous highways in the state. State route 241 starts in Mission Viejo and runs alongside

280-469: A number of high-mountain streams that flow for all or most of the year, although once out of the foothills these waterways are ephemeral . The major streams rising from the western side of the range drain into the Pacific Ocean; these include Peters Canyon Wash , Serrano Creek , San Diego Creek , Aliso Creek , Trabuco Creek , San Juan Creek , and San Mateo Creek . The northern side of the range

336-679: A ringing sound that gave the canyon its name. The Native Americans, part of the Acjachemen Nation, found their way of life disrupted when Spanish colonizers and missionaries came to this area of Las Californias Province and established the Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776 at nearby present day San Juan Capistrano , about 10 miles (16 km) from the creek's mouth. In 1841, during secularization , Pío Pico and Andrés Pico were granted 89,742-acre (363.17 km2) 'Rancho San Onofre y Santa Margarita' next to

392-467: A southerly direction to its confluence with San Juan Creek . The Bell Canyon drainage is located to the east and parallel to Cañada Gobernadora , and to the south of Trabuco Creek . After Trabuco Creek, it is the second largest tributary of San Juan Creek in terms of length and its watershed area of 26 square miles (67 km ). Most of Bell Canyon consists of wilderness in the Cleveland National Forest and Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park . The valley

448-529: A steep canyon, receiving Lion Canyon on the right bank. It is crossed by the first major bridge, a stone arch bridge carrying Ortega Highway. After the bridge, the creek is joined by Hot Springs Creek on the right bank, which is fed by the San Juan Hot Springs; Cold Springs Creek meets San Juan Creek only about 2,000 feet (610 m) downstream, also on the right bank. About 1-mile (1.6 km) past Cold Springs Creek, Lucas Canyon Creek joins on

504-436: Is Mediterranean, with warm dry summers and cool wet winters. Annual precipitation totals range from 20 to 30 inches (500–760 mm) in the higher parts of the range above 3,000 feet (910m), as compared to the average of 13–16 inches (350–400 mm) in the coastal plain. Most of the precipitation falls between November and March. The western (coastal) slope is generally moister than the eastern slope. Snow falls during winter on

560-400: Is a wide, meandering braided stream whose flow is mostly subsurface. When the creek reaches San Juan Creek,7.5 miles (12.1 km) east of the city of San Juan Capistrano , it joins on the right bank, directly before Verdugo Canyon Creek enters the larger stream on the left bank. Below the confluence with Bell Canyon, San Juan Creek flows 14.7 miles (23.7 km) further before emptying into

616-663: Is defined by the Santa Ana River , which heads about 50 miles (80 km) further east, in the San Bernardino Mountains . Santiago Creek drains much of the northern part of the range and empties into the Santa Ana River near downtown Orange . Water from the north-east side of the range empties into Temescal Creek which flows north to the Santa Ana River, or Lake Elsinore which intermittently overflows to Temescal Creek. The southeast end of

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672-724: Is enveloped by different drainage areas within the San Juan Creek watershed. On the southeast side are Cold Springs and Hot Springs Creek, tributaries of San Juan Creek above Bell Canyon Creek; on the northwest, Trabuco Creek, on the west, Cañada Gobernadora . Most of the Bell Canyon drainage area lies within the Cleveland National Forest in the upper half and the Ronald W. Caspers Regional Park (often abbreviated to Caspers Regional Park or Caspers Park ) in

728-695: Is included in a subrange called the Elsinore Mountains , which are west of Lake Elsinore . San Mateo Peak 3,591 feet (1,095 m) marks the highpoint of this range. Margarita Peak, 3,189 feet (972 m); and Redonda Mesa , 2,825 feet (861 m) are part of the Santa Margarita Mountains , a subrange of the Santa Anas that extends down to Camp Pendleton and Fallbrook . Southeast of the Elsinore Mountains

784-597: Is largely a result of the Wisconsinian glaciation , which forced sea level worldwide to drop up to 400 feet (120 m) from their previous level in the Sangamonian Stage. This coincided with a massive North American climate change that shifted the cold, rainy climate of the Pacific Northwest further south to Southern California. Rainfall exceeding 80 inches (200 cm) per year changed

840-461: Is more than 1,000 feet (300 m) deep and averages a mile (1.61 km) wide, and is joined by the major tributaries of Dove Canyon, Crow Canyon and Tick Creek. The Juaneño or Acagchemem Native Americans have lived in the Bell Canyon area for almost 10,000 years, from archeology at the San Dieguito complex . It is said they would strike rocks against boulders in the canyon, producing

896-592: Is the Santa Rosa Plateau , named for the Rancho Santa Rosa that once encompassed it. At the south end of the plateau there is a steep escarpment from the basalt capped mesas that line it, that descends from about 500 feet at Mesa de Burro to Sandia Creek on the east to about 1800 feet at Avenaloca Mesa to De Luz Creek in the west. From the foot of the escarpment, the mountains and canyons of De Luz, Sandia Creek and others below it, run to

952-605: The Los Angeles Basin largely along the border between Orange and Riverside counties. The range starts in the north at the Whittier Fault and Santa Ana Canyon , through which the Santa Ana River flows. To the north of the canyon are the smaller Chino Hills in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. The northernmost summit of the Santa Anas, at 3,045 feet (928 m), is Sierra Peak. From there,

1008-491: The Pacific Ocean at Dana Point . The Bell Canyon Creek watershed consists of an L-shaped area in southern Orange County near the boundary of Riverside County and San Diego County . It is about 10 miles (16 km) long as the crow flies and about 2 miles (3.2 km) wide at its broadest. Nearly the entire watershed consists of the continuous Bell Canyon valley that ranges from 2,600 feet (790 m) deep near

1064-799: The Mission San Juan Capistrano by the Mexican Governor of Alta California , Juan Alvarado . Three years later, the grant of Rancho Las Flores was added, and the grant renamed Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores which included Bell Canyon and Creek. Much of Bell Canyon was purchased by Eugene Grant Starr in the late 1920s, creating a large parcel of undeveloped land that became the National Audubon Society 's 'Starr Ranch' in 1973. A wide and braided watercourse flowing through an alluvial valley, Bell Canyon Creek remains much like its original state before

1120-431: The Santa Ana Mountains was shot and killed in the mountains in 1908. Gray wolf , pronghorn , California condor and possibly jaguar were also once found in the range. A number of minerals have been mined in the range, though none were very profitable. Commercial resources collected since the 1870s have included metals such as lead, silver, tin, and zinc, and minerals such as clay, coal, gypsum, and limestone. Parts of

1176-556: The Spanish arrival, although with the development of Coto de Caza and nearby communities it has seen increased urban runoff , which does not often reach San Juan Creek in the form of surface water, but contaminates the local groundwater . Work was begun in 2005 to remove polluted water from two Bell Canyon tributaries that flow through residential areas on the west side of the watershed. Several pumps were installed on Dove and Tick Creeks in 2005 to remove excess surface water flow and feed

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1232-426: The beginning of this wider valley, Lucas Canyon Creek enters on the left bank. A few miles past this confluence, San Juan Creek receives the second largest tributary, south-flowing Bell Canyon , on the right bank, at almost the same point that Verdugo Canyon enters the creek on the opposite bank. Bell Canyon receives pollution from several residential communities that overlook, but do not border, it. The creek bends to

1288-406: The canyon is too narrow for development, and the only major structure that influences the creek throughout San Juan Canyon is Ortega Highway, which follows the course of the entire canyon. Leaving its uppermost headwaters, San Juan Creek flows south and west in several meanders , then finally proceeds to flow west-southwest. It is joined by the ephemeral watercourses Long Canyon and Morell Canyon on

1344-504: The city limits of San Juan Capistrano , from where it is channelized for the rest of its length. In the reach between San Juan Canyon and the city, San Juan Creek is not channelized, but does have some modifications along its length. The Ortega Highway crosses the creek twice in this section, and notably at the first bridge, the creek channel is narrowed from 500 feet (150 m) to 100 feet (30 m). An access road crosses San Juan Creek near where it meets Bell Canyon , and at this point,

1400-405: The city limits of Rancho Santa Margarita which lies to the west, Bell Creek receives an unnamed tributary from the right at river mile (RM) 10, or river kilometer (RK) 16.1, carrying a small amount of runoff from a residential area on the east side of the city. Bell Creek then turns southwards and Fox Creek, a slightly larger tributary, enters from the left at RM 9.2 (RK 14.8). Dove Canyon,

1456-404: The creek is diverted into 36-inch (91 cm) culverts . There are also gabions along San Juan Creek for some of its length, mainly preceding, at and after stream crossings. There are also two objects that form drops, but not impoundments, in the middle reach, one man-made and one natural. The man-made structure is a small gabion located at the entrance of Caspers Wilderness Park , which is near

1512-406: The falls, a small perennial watercourse trickles into San Juan Creek on the left bank. About 1 mi (1.6 km) below the falls, deposits begin to become apparent on the floor of the widening valley, and the creek spreads out, with short reaches of cascades between slackwater pools and more gradual courses. After flowing through this approximately 2-mile (3.2 km) valley, it narrows again to

1568-693: The family, is also located here. The mountains were the site of the Indian massacre of Puhú village in 1831 in Black Star Canyon . As part of the California Floristic Province , the Santa Ana Mountains host a diverse array of plant species within distinctive natural (plant) communities, including coastal sage scrub , chaparral , riparian woodland, southern oak woodland , rocky outcrop, vernal pool , valley grassland , and closed-cone montane coniferous forest . One of

1624-696: The foothills of the Santa Ana's while merging with State Route 133 and 261. The highway finishes at the junction with State Route 91. Notes Archival collections Other Bell Canyon Bell Canyon is a major drainage of the Santa Ana Mountains in Orange County , California in the United States. Bell Creek (also known as Bell Canyon Creek or Arroyo de las Campanas ) flows about 14.4 miles (23.2 km) in

1680-404: The headwaters to just 300 feet (91 m) deep near the mouth. It covers about 26 square miles (67 km ), or about 19.42% of the 133.9-square-mile (347 km ) San Juan Creek watershed as a whole. After the 22-mile (35 km) Trabuco Creek, Bell Canyon Creek is also the second largest tributary within the watershed by terms of length and drainage area. The whole Bell Canyon Creek watershed

1736-587: The highest peaks. The mountains were named by members of Gaspar de Portolà 's expedition, who camped below the mountains on July 26, 1769, the Feast Day of Saint Anne . At the time of Portola's visit, the Santa Anas were settled by three main groups of indigenous peoples , the Tongva in the north, the Acjachemen in the west and Payomkowishum in the east and south. A handful of historic sites remain in

Course of San Juan Creek - Misplaced Pages Continue

1792-440: The largest tributary of Bell Canyon Creek, draining a 3-mile (4.8 km)-long strip of land that includes residential areas and a golf course , enters from the right at RM 9 (RK 14.5) and Tick Creek enters in quick succession at RM 8.9 (RK 14.3). The creek then trends southwards through a widening and shallowing valley for some 4 miles (6.4 km) before Crow Canyon enters from the left at RM 4.5 (RK 7.2). By this time Bell Canyon

1848-452: The left bank. After San Juan Creek exits San Juan Canyon, it spreads to a braided channel over extensive alluvial deposits on the floor of its valley. The width of the channel can range from 100 to 700 feet (30 to 213 m), and water flow is usually subsurface in the dry season. Agriculture and ranching are the primary land use in the middle reach. The creek bed meanders in large arcs, separated by numerous islands and bands of vegetation. At

1904-454: The lower half. Dove Canyon, however, is on residential land in the city of Rancho Santa Margarita. The upper canyon, in the Santa Ana Mountains, is carved into Jurassic -age igneous and metamorphic rock overlain by a few thousand feet of highly erosive Cretaceous -age sedimentary rock covered by thin layers of rocky soil. The mountains began rising during the late Miocene epoch, beginning about 5.5 million years ago. The valley floor of

1960-467: The mainstem. For much of its lower third, it winds alongside Interstate 5. At river mile 4 (river kilometer 6.4) it receives its major tributary, Oso Creek , on its right bank. In its final course, it flows into a south-flowing flood control channel that meets San Juan Creek inside San Juan Capistrano . After the confluence with Trabuco Creek, San Juan Creek flows more or less directly south for about 2.7 miles (4.3 km), bending only once, slightly to

2016-633: The major summits are Pleasants Peak, 4,007 feet (1,221 m); Bedford Peak, 3,800 feet (1,200 m); and Bald Peak, 3,947 feet (1,203 m). The next two peaks — Modjeska , 5,496 feet (1,675 m); and Santiago , 5,689 feet (1,734 m), the highest summit in the range — form Saddleback Ridge . Saddleback, located approximately 20 mi (32 km) east of Santa Ana , is visible from much of Southern California. South of Saddleback are Trabuco Peak , 4,613 feet (1,406 m); Los Pinos Peak , 4,510 feet (1,370 m) and Sitton Peak, 3,273 feet (998 m). Elsinore Peak , 3,575 feet (1,090 m)

2072-465: The northwest, where it meets Trampas Canyon on the left bank. Shortly after Trampas Canyon, the third largest tributary, Cañada Gobernadora , enters on the right bank, along with Cañada Chiquita , after Gobernadora. The creek bends south again, passing an elementary school on its left bank. About 7.5 miles (12.1 km) downstream of Bell Canyon and 11.3 miles (18.2 km) downstream of San Juan Canyon, San Juan Creek enters heavily urban landscape in

2128-540: The range have been used to graze domestic livestock and harvest timber since the late 18th century. As the surrounding cities have grown, the water of the range's creeks has become a particularly valued resource. The mountains form a natural barrier between the Inland Empire region to the east and the job centers of Orange County to the west. Only one freeway, the Riverside Freeway ( State Route 91 ),

2184-782: The range is marked by the Santa Margarita River , which also originates east of the Santa Anas and flows southwest to the Pacific. Runoff from the southeast side of the range drains into Murrieta Creek , a tributary of the Santa Margarita River. Irvine Lake , the largest body of fresh water in Orange County, is in the northwest part of the range near Villa Park . The lake is formed by the Santiago Dam , which impounds Santiago Creek. The climate

2240-525: The range today. Registered California Historical Landmarks include an Indian Village Site in Black Star Canyon , Flores Peak named for the outlaw Juan Flores , the mining boomtown sites of Carbondale and Silverado , and Helena Modjeska's home . The Moreno and Machado Adobes of the Rancho Santa Rosa are found on the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve . Beeks Place , a small house foundation still owned by

2296-502: The right bank, and Bear Canyon on the left bank. At about this reach, it plunges over San Juan Falls, a 15-foot (4.6 m) drop; the falls is preceded by a short cascade and followed by a series of near-vertical falls. In this reach, stream pools, which tend to become stagnant during low flow periods, are abundant. Continuing on down the gradually widening valley, San Juan Creek turns westwards and drops over several more falls, before finally widening to about 330 feet (100 m). Just below

Course of San Juan Creek - Misplaced Pages Continue

2352-510: The rise of sea level about 300 feet (91 m) to its present-day level. The canyons carved by the rivers became long narrow inlets which gradually filled with sediments, but the difference in sea level between the pre-Wisconsinian and post-Wisconsinian was responsible for the formation of river terraces along most streams with a floodplain. The Bell Canyon Creek watershed has three distinct areas with different levels of groundwater percolation. On mountainous slopes, which comprise about 65% of

2408-871: The rugged terrain. Numerous ferns, including large sword ferns, are found under trees and near streams, especially at higher elevations. A surprising variety of wildlife species can be found, including mountain lion , mule deer , bobcat , coyote , gray fox , American badger , ring-tailed cat , spotted skunk , western gray squirrel , long-tailed weasel , dusky-footed woodrat , kangaroo rat , bats , spotted owl , western pond turtle , steelhead , coast horned lizard , least Bell's vireo , golden eagle , mountain quail , canyon wren , speckled rattlesnake , Pacific rattlesnake , common kingsnake , gopher snake , western fence lizard , arroyo toad , western spadefoot toad , California tree frog , California sister butterfly , various Aphonopelma species of tarantula, and many more. The last wild California grizzly bear in

2464-475: The sandspit; this means that Doheny State Beach and Capistrano Bay receive pollution from the creek almost constantly. 33°27′42″N 117°41′01″W  /  33.4616945°N 117.6836625°W  / 33.4616945; -117.6836625 Santa Ana Mountains The Santa Ana Mountains are a short peninsular mountain range along the coast of Southern California in the United States. They extend for approximately 61 miles (98 km) southeast of

2520-523: The slow-moving streams of the South Coast to powerful rivers that eroded deep channels into their floodplains to maintain equilibrium with the dropping sea level. The Wisconsinian era lasted from 70,000 to 10,000 years ago, and by the end of that period, climate changed to its present state and Southern California rivers reverted to small seasonal streams. The end of the Wisconsinian also marked

2576-561: The south to the Santa Margarita River . The range ends roughly at the Santa Margarita River. Much of the range is within the Trabuco Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest , although some parts are still owned by two century-old ranches: the Irvine Ranch (originally known as the Yorba Family's Rancho Lomas de Santiago ) and Rancho Mission Viejo (originally recorded as Rancho Misión Vieja ). The Santa Anas include

2632-579: The southeast, for this entire reach. The channel in cross-section is about 300 feet (91 m) wide and 20 feet (6.1 m) deep, with a bicycle path running along the west side. The creek crosses the boundary between San Juan Capistrano and the city of Dana Point , where its channel widens and further shallows. It is crossed by Camino Las Ramblas on a high bridge, then finally crossed by the Pacific Coast Highway on two lower bridges. Directly after this final crossing, San Juan Creek flows into

2688-650: The southernmost stands of madrones can be found in Trabuco Canyon . Groves of knobcone pine can be found around Pleasants Peak. Big-cone Douglas fir and Coulter pine can be found at the higher elevations. Rare flowers like the intermediate Mariposa lily , heart-leaved pitcher sage (associated with the Tecate cypress ), and chocolate lily are difficult to find. Fragrant sages , broadleaf evergreen shrubs and trees, perennial bunchgrasses , succulents ( Dudleya species), and fire-following flowers grow in

2744-459: The surface water flows into the streams as runoff, and during storms, runoff peaks sharply and diminishes rapidly. This source of urban runoff is a continuing problem for the Bell Canyon watershed. The broad alluvial floodplain of Bell Canyon Creek has historically supported and still supports a riparian woodland and understory that extends from canyon wall to canyon wall. This riparian area consists of plentiful undergrowth bordering and near

2800-462: The tolled Foothill and Eastern Transportation Corridor ( State Route 241 ), and the two-lane Ortega Highway ( State Route 74 ) connect the regions. Highway 91, which follows the Santa Ana River through a pass between the Santa Ana Mountains on the south and the Chino Hills on the north, is one of California's most congested routes. Because of this, several proposals have been floated to excavate

2856-403: The underground discharge of El Horno Creek on the right bank. A few hundred yards past El Horno, San Juan Creek receives its largest tributary, Trabuco Creek , on the right bank. Trabuco Creek begins in the northeastern corner of the watershed and drains most of the watershed's north half. It flows primarily west then south-southwest, through a valley that is generally more developed than that of

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2912-607: The upper Bell Canyon area is underlain by the Bedford Canyon Formation, which is composed of siltstone , argillite , conglomerate , limestone , slate and greywacke . Two minor faults cross Bell Creek within 4.8 miles (7.7 km) of each other: the Aliso Fault and Mission Viejo Fault, upstream of the Dove Canyon confluence. The alluvial floodplain that lines much of the lower canyon today

2968-419: The uppermost few miles is a narrow mountain stream with many rapids and waterfalls, which include a series of large 5-to-15-foot (1.5 to 4.6 m) cascades, known as San Juan Falls. There are little alluvial deposits in the canyons, and the creek mostly cascades over bedrock. In this upper reach, the pool-and-riffle stream channel structure is evident. There are a few developments within the area, but most of

3024-423: The urban runoff into a reclaimed-water system. This provides extra water for residential irrigation and reduces the runoff which previously enabled non-native invasive species (invasive exotics) of plants to grow, at the expense of native riparian habitat . The headwaters of Bell Creek are a fan-shaped network of canyons eroded into the west side of 4,510 ft (1,370 m) Los Pinos Peak, which lie just

3080-402: The watershed, the percolation rate is relatively low and produces a moderate amount of runoff during storms. On the deep alluvium of the valley floors, however, water soaks into the ground and flows subsurface into San Juan Creek. This area is the site of a thick riparian zone and produces little storm runoff. The third area is the residential areas of Dove Canyon and Tick Creek, in which 90% of

3136-525: The west boundary of the Cleveland National Forest . The second is a natural sandstone outcropping below a bridge. The former is beginning to lose its original use and may be washed out by one large flood. The lowermost reach of San Juan Creek begins after it crosses underneath Interstate 5 . After passing beneath the interstate, it is abruptly diverted into a trapezoidal flood control channel , with concrete levees and an earthen riverbed. The creek flows southwest, arcing gradually south, and very soon receives

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