{{Short description|Tributary of the Santa Clara River in California, United States}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{coord|34|25|10|N|118|37|48|W|type:river_region:US-CA_source:gnis|display=title|notes=<ref name="gnis">{{cite gnis |id=255433 |name=Castaic Creek}}</ref>}}
{{Infobox river | name = Castaic Creek | name_native = | name_native_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = <!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP --> | image = 300px | image_caption = Castaic Lake, with Castaic Lagoon and lower Castaic Creek in center-right side. | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption= <!---------------------- LOCATION --> | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = United States | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = California | subdivision_type3 = Region | subdivision_name3 = Los Angeles County | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = <!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS --> | length_mi = 25 | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = | discharge1_max = <!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES --> | source1 = | source1_location = Sierra Pelona Mountains | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = | mouth = | mouth_location = confluence with Santa Clara River at Castaic Junction | mouth_coordinates = <ref name="gnis" /> | mouth_elevation = | progression = | river_system = Santa Clara River | basin_size = | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = }}
'''Castaic Creek''' (Chumash: ''Kaštiq'')<ref>[https://escholarship.org/content/qt3s34f5ss/qt3s34f5ss.pdf?t=krnh6i Chumash Place Names]</ref> is a {{convert|25.0|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}}<ref name=NHD>{{cite web |url=http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |title=U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data |publisher=The National Map |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329155652/http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |archivedate=2012-03-29 }}, accessed March 16, 2011</ref> watershed in the Sierra Pelona Mountains, in northeastern Los Angeles County, California. It is a tributary of the Santa Clara River.
==Castaic Lake== Castaic Dam on the creek forms Castaic Lake, but most of the water comes from the West Branch of the West Branch California Aqueduct, part of the California State Water Project. The {{convert|323,700|acre.foot|m3}} lake is the terminus for west branch of the aqueduct. The aqueduct delivers water to the lake by a pipeline from Pyramid Lake.
Besides storing drinking water, Castaic Lake is the lower reservoir in a pumped-storage hydroelectric system. During times of peak electricity demand, water is released from Pyramid Lake and run through the turbines at Castaic Power Plant. At night, when demand and electricity prices are lower, water is pumped from Castaic Lake to Pyramid Lake. The income from the electricity sold offsets a portion of the cost for pumping the water in some parts of the aqueduct, such as over the Tehachapi Mountains.
==Creek resumes== Some water is released into Castaic Lagoon, immediately downstream of the dam. The lagoon provides Groundwater recharge of the aquifer and recreation. Downstream of the lagoon, water continues in Castaic Creek through the southwestern foothills of the Sierra Pelona Mountains to its confluence with the Santa Clara River, a few miles west of Santa Clarita. The rest is distributed to the northern Greater Los Angeles Area by pipelines.
==References== *{{cite web |url=http://rubicon.water.ca.gov/v1cwp/wbrec.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605112751/http://rubicon.water.ca.gov/v1cwp/wbrec.html |archivedate=2009-06-05 |title=The California Water Plan Update, October 1994 |publisher=California Department of Water Resources}} *{{cite web |url=http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/environment/info/aspen/antelopepardee/pea/pea04-09.pdf |title=California Public Utilities Commission |access-date=2006-05-05 |archive-date=2009-08-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090818044245/http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/environment/info/aspen/antelopepardee/pea/pea04-09.pdf |url-status=dead }} (PDF) {{reflist}}
==See also== *{{C|Santa Clara River (California)|Santa Clara River topics}} *San Francisquito Creek (Santa Clara River) *St. Francis Dam *List of rivers of California
{{Southern California major watersheds|state=collapsed}} {{Santa Clara River}}
Category:Rivers of Los Angeles County, California Category:Santa Clara River (California) Category:Sierra Pelona Ridge Category:Rivers of Southern California