Piru Creek
| Piru Creek Arroyo de Piruc, Arroyo Piru, Rio Peru | |
|---|---|
Piru Creek | |
Map of the Santa Clara River watershed, with the Piru Creek sub-watershed highlighted. | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Region | Ventura County, Los Angeles County |
| City | Piru, California |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | San Emigdio Mountains |
| • location | An unnamed spring, Ventura County, United States |
| • coordinates | 34°38′12″N 119°12′11″W / 34.63667°N 119.20306°W |
| • elevation | 5,200 ft (1,600 m) |
| Mouth | Santa Clara River |
• location | Piru, Ventura County |
• coordinates | 34°23′56″N 118°47′08″W / 34.39889°N 118.78556°W |
• elevation | 643 ft (196 m) |
| Length | 71 mi (114 km) |
| Basin size | 497 sq mi (1,290 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Above Lake Piru |
| • average | 68.2 cu ft/s (1.93 m3/s) |
| • minimum | 0 cu ft/s (0 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 40,000 cu ft/s (1,100 m3/s) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Santa Clara River |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Sheep Creek (California), Lockwood Creek, Smith Fork Piru Creek, Osito Creek, Ruby Creek (California), Michael Creek |
| • right | Cedar Creek (California), Mutau Creek, Fish Creek (California), Turtle Creek (California), Agua Blanca Creek |
| Type | Wild, Recreational |
| Designated | March 30, 2009 |
Piru Creek is a major stream, about 71 miles (114 km) long, in northern Los Angeles County and eastern Ventura County, California. It is a tributary of the Santa Clara River, the largest stream system in Southern California that is still relatively natural.
The creek drains an area of about 497 square miles (1,290 km2), making it the Santa Clara River's biggest tributary in terms of watershed size. Most of the creek above Lake Piru is located in the Los Padres National Forest. There are two major reservoirs on Piru Creek, Lake Piru and Pyramid Lake, which respectively store water for local irrigation and the California State Water Project.