Agua Chinon Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Agua Chinon Creek |
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|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | The Sinks Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve, Santa Ana Mountains 1,400 ft (430 m) 33°42′47″N 117°39′30″W / 33.71306°N 117.65833°W |
| River mouth | San Diego Creek Irvine 167 ft (51 m) 33°39′15″N 117°45′31″W / 33.65417°N 117.75861°W |
| Length | 7.96 mi (12.81 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 11.01 sq mi (28.5 km2) |
Agua Chinon Creek is a stream that flows through the city of Irvine in Orange County, California. It's sometimes called Agua Chinon Wash. This creek starts in the Santa Ana Mountains and flows southwest for about 8 miles (13 km). It eventually joins another stream called San Diego Creek near the Verizon Amphitheatre. The area of land that drains into Agua Chinon Creek is about 7,049 acres (2,853 hectares). This whole area is called its watershed.
Contents
Where the Creek Begins
The creek starts in a natural area called the Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve. This part of the creek is called its headwaters. It includes about 1,200 acres (490 hectares) of undeveloped canyons.
The Sinks
In this area, you can find a unique spot known as The Sinks. It has steep cliffs and is sometimes called "the Grand Canyon of Orange County."
Agua Chinon Dam
As Agua Chinon Creek flows out of the canyons, it goes under California State Route 241. Here, a dam called the Agua Chinon Debris Dam holds back the water. This dam helps control floods in the valley below. It was finished in 1998 and can hold a lot of water, about 256 acre-feet (316,000 cubic meters).
Through the City
The middle part of Agua Chinon Creek flows underground in a large pipe called a culvert. This culvert goes beneath what used to be the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro.
Orange County Great Park
The old air base is now being turned into the Orange County Great Park. There are plans to bring the creek back to the surface in this area. This process is called daylighting. The goal is to create a natural pathway for animals, known as a wildlife corridor. This corridor would connect the Cleveland National Forest with the Laguna Coast wilderness area.
Joining San Diego Creek
After passing under the Great Park, the creek goes underground again. It flows beneath the BNSF Railway tracks, Interstate 5, and the Irvine Spectrum Center. Along the way, another stream called Borrego Canyon Wash joins it.
The creek finally comes out into the open just before it meets San Diego Creek. This meeting point, called a confluence, is located near the Interstate 405 and State Route 133 interchange.
