The San Gabriel River flows 60.6 miles through Los Angeles County. Its watershed is deep in the San Gabriel Mountains within the Angeles National Forest north of the Los Angeles Basin. The river flows across the San Gabriel Valley south through Downey, Norwalk, Bellflower, Cerritos, Cypress. Long Beach. Seal Beach, and then into Alamitos Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

The San Gabriel River watershed is a habitat for the endangered Steelhead trout and the Mountain Yellow-Legged frog which was once threatened with extinction. The San Gabriel River basin was occupied by the Tongva People for thousands of years before the area was claimed by Spain and later by Mexico.

 

Puddingstone Dam and Reservoir

Puddingstone Dam, completed in 1928, is a dam on Walnut Creek in the San Gabriel Valley which is a tributary of the San Gabriel River. The dam forms Puddingstone Reservoir which is a 250-acre lake. The reservoir is located within the Bonelli Regional Park. The reservoir is used for flood control, irrigation, and recreation.

 

Cogswell Dam and Reservoir

Cogswell Dam, constructed in 1935, is a dam on the West Fork of the San Gabriel River located in the San Gabriel Mountains, northeast of Mount Wilson in the Angeles National Forest. The dam created the Cogswell Reservoir which works with the San Gabriel Dam and the Morris Dam downstream to control flooding.

 

San Gabriel River Watershed

The San Gabriel River Watershed, consisting of approximately 640 square miles, is located in the eastern area of Los Angeles County. It is bounded by the San Gabriel Mountains to the north, parts of Orange County and San Bernardino County to the east. the division of the Los Angeles River from the San Gabriel River to the west, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The San Gabriel River runs from the San Gabriel Mountains above the San Gabriel Valley south to the Pacific Ocean. The major tributaries to the San Gabriel River include Walnut Creek, San Jose Creek, and Coyote Creek.

 

San Gabriel River Bike Trail

The San Gabriel River Bike Trail is a 38 mile bicycle path along the San Gabriel River. It starts at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains extends through the EI Dorado Park in Long Beach, and terminates at the Pacific Ocean in Seal Beach, Orange County.

 

Southern California Watersheds

A watershed is an area of land that collects water whenever it rains or snows and from irrigation. Through gravity, water channeled into soils, groundwater, creeks, and lakes, drain into larger bodies of water and eventually to the ocean. Due to the large volume of storm water, it cannot be treated before it reaches the ocean. Since we all live in a watershed, we can all help in keeping our area free of harmful chemicals and other waste.