Santa Anita Creek Big Santa Anita Creek, Santa Anita Wash[1]
The creek near the First Water trail junction
Location
Country	United States
State	California
Region	Los Angeles County
Cities	Sierra Madre, Arcadia, Monrovia, Azusa, Irwindale
Physical characteristics
Source	Eastern flank of Mount Wilson
• location	Angeles National Forest, San Gabriel Mountains
• elevation	4,600 ft (1,400 m)
Mouth	Rio Hondo
• location	Irwindale, San Gabriel Valley
• coordinates	34°06′12″N 118°00′56″W / 34.10333°N 118.01556°W / 34.10333; -118.01556
• elevation	320 ft (98 m)
Length	10.4 mi (16.7 km), North-south
Basin size	15 sq mi (39 km2)
Discharge
• average	9 cu ft/s (0.25 m3/s)
• minimum	0 cu ft/s (0 m3/s)
• maximum	7,000 cu ft/s (200 m3/s)
Basin features
River system	Rio Hondo
Tributaries
• left	North Fork Santa Anita Creek, East Fork Santa Anita Creek
• right	Winter Creek

Santa Anita Creek (Santa Anita Wash on federal maps^[1]) is a 10.4-mile (16.7 km) long stream in Los Angeles County, California. It flows southwards from its headwaters in the south ridge of the San Gabriel Mountains, to form the beginnings of the Rio Hondo near Irwindale.

Course

The creek begins on the east slope of Mount Wilson, inside the Angeles National Forest. It flows in a curve southeast through Santa Anita Canyon, then drops over the 60-foot (18 m) Sturtevant Falls. The North Fork comes in from the left about a quarter-mile above the falls, and the East Fork also from the left about a quarter-mile downstream. The creek then flows south through a group of about 80 historic cabins on the canyon floor, before receiving Winter Creek from the right near Chantry Flat. Shortly downstream of there, it drops over Hermit Falls and flows into Santa Anita Reservoir, which is impounded by the 225-foot (69 m) Santa Anita Dam.

Leaving the foothills the creek continues southwards through Sierra Madre, Monrovia and Arcadia as the Santa Anita Wash, flowing in a concrete channel. It turns southeast towards Azusa, then south again at Irwindale, where it empties into a small flood control basin.

The water continues out of the basin as the Rio Hondo, which flows southwards to junctions with the San Gabriel River and the Los Angeles River.^[2]

References