List_of_rivers_of_Orange_County,_California
This is a list of rivers of Orange County, California, part of the Greater Los Angeles Area in Southern California.The Santa Ana River and San Gabriel River are the largest in Orange County; their extensive watersheds extend into neighboring Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. A number of smaller streams originate in or flow largely within Orange County, chief of which are Coyote Creek, Santiago Creek, San Diego Creek, Aliso Creek, and San Juan Creek. Many streams in the area received their names from Spanish explorers in the 18th century.
With the exception of mountain regions, Orange County is characterized by dense suburban and urban development. To protect the county's 3 million people from floods, many streams were channelized and/or lined with concrete in the 20th century. In addition, some wholly artificial streams were constructed to drain the large coastal wetlands and floodplains in north Orange County, namely in the Anaheim Bay watershed. Although the purpose of channelization is to carry floodwaters to the sea in an efficient manner, Orange County's streams have also been impacted by stormwater capture projects, to reduce the county's reliance on imported water. Such projects range from Irvine Lake – the county's largest body of fresh water, created by damming Santiago Creek in 1931 – to the extensive Santa Ana River groundwater recharge operations that provide as much as half the domestic water used in the county.
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