Carpinteria Creek facts for kids

Carpinteria Creek is a stream about 8.1 miles (13 km) long. It starts high up in the Santa Ynez Mountains. The creek then flows south past Snowball Mountain. It continues southwest until it reaches the Santa Barbara Channel. This is where it meets the Pacific Ocean at Carpinteria State Beach in Carpinteria.

History of Carpinteria Creek

Long ago, in 1769, a group of explorers called the Portola Expedition came to this area. They discovered a village of the Chumash Indians. The Chumash were skilled builders. They were busy making canoes right by the creek! Because of this, the explorers named the place La Carpinteria. This means "the carpenter's shop" in Spanish.

Journey of the Creek

The Carpinteria Creek watershed is like a big bowl. It collects all the rain and water from an area of about 15.3 square miles. The creek begins high up in the mountains, about 3,460 feet (1,055 meters) above sea level.

Its main smaller streams, called tributaries, are Sutton Canyon Creek and Gobernador Creek. Gobernador Creek also has its own smaller streams: El Dorado Creek and Steer Creek. Steer Creek starts even higher, on Divide Peak, at about 4,690 feet (1,430 meters).

What's cool about Carpinteria Creek is that it flows freely. Unlike many other streams in Southern California, it doesn't go through underground pipes. It flows openly under the Union Pacific train tracks and the 101 freeway. The creek flows all year round, even through the town area. A map from 1869 shows that the Carpinteria salt marsh, called "El Estero," used to stretch almost all the way to the creek.

Animals and Plants of Carpinteria Creek

Carpinteria Creek used to be a very important place for steelhead trout. Hundreds of these fish would swim upstream to lay their eggs. Today, it's rare to see them in the creek.

Many other special plants and animals live here. Some are considered threatened or endangered. This means they are at risk of disappearing forever. These include:

• Coulter's goldfields (a type of flower)
• Coulter's saltbush (a plant that likes salty soil)
• Ventura marsh milk-vetch (another rare plant)
• Late-flowered mariposa lily (a beautiful flower)
• Monarch butterfly (known for its long migration)
• Sandy beach tiger beetle (a fast-moving insect)
• Tidewater goby (a small fish)
• Western snowy plover (a small shorebird)

The trees along the upper part of the creek include white alder, California sycamore, black cottonwood, and coast live oak. Closer to the ocean, you'll find California sycamore, southern walnut, and arroyo willow trees.

Did you know that Monarch butterflies spend the winter here? They gather at Salzgeber Meadow. This meadow is located along the eastern side of Carpinteria Creek, just upstream from the railroad tracks.

Protecting the Creek

People are working hard to help Carpinteria Creek stay healthy. They are doing major habitat restoration projects. This means they are trying to bring the creek's natural environment back to how it should be.

One important effort is removing plants that don't belong there. For example, they take out giant reed (Arundo donax). This plant uses a lot of water and can push out native plants. They also remove non-native iceplant from the coastal areas. These actions help the native plants and animals thrive.