Cristianitos Creek

Cristianitos Canyon Creek, a stream or arroyo, tributary to San Mateo Creek, in the Santa Ana Mountains. its source is within Orange County, California. Its source is at an altitude of 800 feet, at the head of Cristianitos Canyon, in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains, in Orange County.^[2] It flows southwestward down Cristianitos Canyon, then turns south towards its confluence with San Mateo Creek, at an elevation of 75 feet (23 m), in San Diego County.^[3]

Cristianitos Creek[1]
Map of San Mateo Creek and Arroyo San Onofre drainage basins. San Mateo Creek basin is in dark green.
Location
Country	United States
State	California
Region	Orange County, San Diego County
Physical characteristics
Source	at the head of Cristianitos Canyon, Santa Ana Mountains, in Orange County County
• coordinates	33°30′36″N 117°33′3″W
• elevation	800 ft (240 m)
Mouth	confluence with San Mateo Creek, in San Diego County
• coordinates	33°25′11″N 117°34′13″W
• elevation	75 ft (23 m)
Length	7 mi (11 km)
Discharge
• location	Pacific Ocean
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Gabino Canyon Creek, Talega Canyon Creek

Along its course it has two major tributaries that come in from the left bank from the Santa Ana Mountains southwest and south of the Verdugo Potrero. First Gabino Canyon Creek, 7 miles long, that arises at an elevation of 1,840 feet (560 m) in the Santa Ana Mountains, in the extreme southwestern part of Riverside County, a mile north of the San Diego County line and flows southwest, adding the waters of La Paz Canyon Creek on its way to its confluence with Cristianitos Creek, at the mouth of Cristianitos Canyon, at an elevation of 301 feet (92 m) in Orange County.^[4] Second is Talega Canyon Creek, 10 miles (16 km) long, that also arises in the Santa Anna Mountains, in southwestern part of Riverside County at altitude 2000 feet above sea level. It flows southwestward into Orange County until it reaches its confluence with Cristianitos Creek at an elevation of 177 feet (54 m) just over the county line in San Diego County, on the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.^[5][6]

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Cristianitos Creek
2. Cristianitos Creek (source), USGS Map Name: Canada Gobernadora, CA, Map Center: N33° 30' 36" W117° 33' 3", from topoquest.com accessed on 5/14/2013
3. Cristianitos Canyon Creek (mouth), USGS Map Name: San Clemente, CA, Map Center: N33° 25' 11" W117° 34' 13", from topoquest.com accessed on 5/14/2013
4. Gabino Canyon, California, USGS Map Name: San Clemente, CA, Map Center: N33° 28' 1" W117° 33' 48", from topoquest.com accessed on 5/14/2013
5. Talega Canyon, California, USGS Map Name: San Clemente, CA, Map Center: N33° 27' 3" W117° 34' 8", from topoquest.com accessed on 5/14/2013
6. Beatrice Dawson Wood, Gazetteer of Surface Waters of California, Pacific Coast Basins and Great Basin, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, 1913, pp. 60, 84, 215