Santa Maria River (Arizona) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Santa Maria River |
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Seasonal flows in the Arrastra wilderness
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Location of the mouth of Santa Maria River in Arizona
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | 2,640 feet (800 m) |
| River mouth | Alamo Lake 1,240 feet (380 m) |
| Length | 50 miles (80 km) |
The Santa Maria River is a river in western Arizona, USA. It's known as an intermittent stream, which means it doesn't always have water flowing in it. Sometimes it's dry! This river is a main branch of the Bill Williams River. It also helps fill up Alamo Lake. The Santa Maria River forms part of the border between Mohave and La Paz counties.
Where the River Flows
The Santa Maria River starts when two smaller streams, Sycamore Creek and Kirkland Creek, join together. This meeting point is about 10 miles (16 km) east of a community called Bagdad. From there, the river generally flows southwest. It travels through a wild and rugged area known as the Arrastra Mountain Wilderness. This area includes parts of the Poachie Range and the Black Mountains. Many smaller streams, which also flow only sometimes, join the Santa Maria River along its path.
The Santa Maria River eventually meets the Big Sandy River. When they join, they form the Bill Williams River. This happens just before the water reaches Alamo Lake. During times of very heavy rain, Alamo Lake can get so full that it stretches past where these rivers usually meet. When this happens, the Santa Maria River flows directly into Alamo Lake instead of joining the Big Sandy River first.
River Sections: Wet and Dry
The Santa Maria River is about 50 miles (80 km) long in total. However, not all of it has water all the time. About 17 miles (27 km) of the river is considered perennial. This means that section of the river has water flowing in it all year round. The rest of the river is ephemeral. This means it only flows when there has been a lot of rain. So, you might see parts of the river that are just dry riverbeds for much of the year!
