Tijeras Canyon Creek

Tijeras Canyon Creek is a watercourse in northeast Orange County, California and a tributary of Arroyo Trabuco. It originates in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains, and flows southwest through the suburban city of Rancho Santa Margarita for several miles as an underground culvert. Below State Route 241 it becomes a free-flowing creek, traveling through Cañada Vista Park and Tijeras Creek Golf Club before joining with Trabuco Creek in O'Neill Regional Park.[2]

Not to be confused with Tijeras Canyon in New Mexico.
Tijeras Canyon Creek
Location of Tijeras Canyon Creek in California
Location
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
Physical characteristics
SourceSanta Ana Mountains
 • locationNear Rancho Santa Margarita
 • coordinates33°39′40″N 117°33′10″W[1]
 • elevation1,901 ft (579 m)
MouthArroyo Trabuco
 • location
O'Neill Regional Park
 • coordinates
33°35′31″N 117°37′58″W
 • elevation
499 ft (152 m)
Length7.03 mi (11.31 km)

Due to its relatively natural condition, the lower Tijeras Creek provides habitat for the threatened arroyo chub, which is endemic to coastal Southern California streams. Large numbers of native fish were observed there during field studies in 2010.[3]

In March 2010 a force main adjacent to Tijeras Creek ruptured, spilling more than 2,000,000 US gallons (7,600 m3) of raw sewage into the creek. The contaminated water traveled into Trabuco and San Juan Creeks before reaching the Pacific Ocean, forcing a six-day closure at Doheny State Beach.[4][5]

See also

List of rivers of Orange County, California

References
  1. "Tijeras Canyon". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 1981-01-19. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  2. USGS Topo Maps for United States (Map). Cartography by United States Geological Survey. ACME Mapper. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  3. Walter, William; et al. (2014). "Assessment of Native Fishes for Vector Control in Orange County, California" (PDF). Proceedings and Papers of the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California. Semantic Scholar. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  4. "Orange County – Report of Waste Discharge" (PDF). California State Water Resources Control Board. 2014-07-01. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  5. Boucly, Chris (2013-08-21). "O.C. sewage spill costly for water district". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2016-12-05.


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