Owens River
The Owens River course begins (top left) as Deadman Creek, and the river designation begins where the Big Springs tributary enters the Deadman Creek channel.[1]:89,108,113
Location
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
Physical characteristics
Length120 mi (190 km), north-south
Diversion gates that control inflow to the Lower Owens River

The Owens River course includes headwaters points near the Upper San Joaquin Watershed,[2] reservoirs and diversion points (e.g., for the Los Angeles Aqueduct), and the river's mouth at Owens Lake. The river drains the Crowley Lake Watershed (USGS HUC 18090102) of 1,900 sq mi (4,900 km2) and the north portion of the Owens Lake Watershed (USGS HUC 18090103) of 1,340 sq mi (3,500 km2).[2]

Owens River course
wikiarticle for point description of point elevation & coordinates
Sierra Crest headwaters (San Joaquin Mountain summit)[1]:113 11,555 ft (3,522 m)37°43′09″N 119°6′21″W / 37.71917°N 119.10583°W / 37.71917; -119.10583
Deadman Creek watercourse originates (perennial flow east of summit) 10,794 ft (3,290 m)[3]37°43′12″N 119°5′58″W / 37.72000°N 119.09944°W / 37.72000; -119.09944
Sierra Escarpment watercourse exits the Sierra Nevada
Glass Creek confluence[1]:111
lower montane forest exits upper montane forest into pinyon/juniper-dominated area 9,000 ft (2,700 m)
Big Springs confluence (river designation) 7,248 ft (2,209 m)[3]37°45′01″N 118°56′20″W / 37.75028°N 118.93889°W / 37.75028; -118.93889
Long Valley enters valley
Basin & Range ecoregion enters bitterbrush/sagebrush-dominated area[1]:26 7,000 ft (2,100 m)
Long Valley Caldera enters volcanic region of Walker Lane
stream gauge prior to tunnel 76 cu ft/s (2.2 m3/s), 350/150 spring/winter[1]:67,108
-16 cu ft/s (0.45 m3/s) outflow into Mono Craters tunnel (1941-1989 inflow)[1]:67,70 [1]:108 ...
exits Inyo National Forest
exits Inaja Ranch[1]:89 [1]:89 ...
confluence, Hot Creek[1]:47
Benton Crossing[1]:89 [1]:89 ...
Crowley Lake enters reservoir [1]:89 ...
confluence, Convict Creek (west side)
confluence, Hilton Creek (south side)
inflow of water diverted from Rock Creek[1]
confluence, Whiskey Creek (south)
confluence, Crooked Creek (south)[4]
-16 cu ft/s (0.45 m3/s)[5] diversion (hydroelectric pipeline to Pleasant V Reservoir)[6]
Long Valley Dam (exits caldera & 380 sq mi (980 km2) Long Hydrologic Unit)[1] 6,783 ft (2,067 m)[3]37°35′17″N 118°42′25″W / 37.58806°N 118.70694°W / 37.58806; -118.70694
Owens River Gorge stream gauge at main weir (downstream of dam)[1]:74
re-enters Inyo National Forest 37°35′21″N 118°41′58″W / 37.58917°N 118.69944°W / 37.58917; -118.69944
exits Mono County, enters Inyo County[7]
exits Inyo National Forest 37°35′17″N 118°42′25″W / 37.58806°N 118.70694°W / 37.58806; -118.70694
confluence, Lower Rock Creek
enters Pleasant Valley Reservoir
reservoir dam (Middle Owens River begins)[4]:T-2 37°24′53″N 118°31′28″W / 37.41472°N 118.52444°W / 37.41472; -118.52444
enters valley at exit of gorge[8]
Round Valley[7]
Horton Creek confluence
Owens Valley exits Round Valley,[8]:4 enters Owens Valley
Spring Valley Wash confluence
McNally canals diversion for irrigation[4]
Fish Slough confluence
US 6 bridge
Laws Ditch inflow north of Bishop, California[4]
Bishop Creek confluence
Big Pine canal diversion[4]
Fish Springs canal diversion[4]
A-drain inflow[4]
Big Pine Creek confluence 3,916 ft (1,194 m)[3]37°10′22″N 118°15′34″W / 37.17278°N 118.25944°W / 37.17278; -118.25944
Tinemaha Reservoir gauge station at inflow
confluence, Tinemaha Creek (west side)
outlet at dam
Owens Lake Watershed exits Crowley Lake Watershed
LA Aqueduct 325-foot (99 m) diversion weir (Lower Owens River begins)[4]:T-2 36°58′32″N 118°12′38″W / 36.97556°N 118.21056°W / 36.97556; -118.21056
SR 136 stream gauge & pumpback station at Keeler Bridge 36°34′28″N 118°0′40″W / 36.57444°N 118.01111°W / 36.57444; -118.01111
Owens Lake mouth 3,556 ft (1,084 m)36°26′0″N 117°57′3″W / 36.43333°N 117.95083°W / 36.43333; -117.95083
External images
image icon Long Valley Dam site
image icon Hilton Creek fault

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Upper Owens River Basin" (PDF). Planning Division: Mono County Community Development Department. March 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-19. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
  2. 1 2 "Boundary Descriptions and Names of Regions, Subregions, Accounting Units and Cataloging Units". USGS.gov. Retrieved 2010-06-07.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "USGS Elevation Web Service Query". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 2010-05-27. Retrieved 2010-02-19. 'Specific queries:
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Appendix T. Hydrologic Characteristics of the Owens River Basin below the Upper Owens River" (PDF). MonoBasinResearch.org. Retrieved 2010-06-14. The Middle Owens River is the segment between Pleasant Valley Reservoir and the Los Angeles Aqueduct (LA Aqueduct) intake downstream of Tinemaha Reservoir.
  5. Kenny, Joe (July 2000). "Owens Gorge Rewatering Project". Executive Officer's Report. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
  6. "Owens River and the Los Angeles Aqueduct". Evaluation of the Hydrologic System and Selected Water-Management Alternatives in the Owens Valley, California. Retrieved 2010-07-13. a 96- to 108-inch pipeline (penstock) that connects Lake Crowley in the Long Valley with the Pleasant Valley Reservoir
  7. 1 2 "Owens River–Los Angeles Aqueduct system..." (PDF). Evaluation of the Hydrologic System and Selected Water-Management Alternatives in the Owens Valley, California. Retrieved 2010-07-13. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  8. 1 2 Wilerson, Gregg; et al. (2007). "Roadside Geology and Mining History: Owens Valley and Mono Basin" (PDF). p. 40. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 14, 2011. Retrieved 2010-06-14. On December 6, 2006 the LA Department of Water and Power was ordered to divert 5% of the annual flow of the Owens River out of the aqueduct and back into Owens Gorge to support the trout fishery.
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