Sweetwater River (California)
| Sweetwater River | |
| Agua Dulce | |
 The river's upper reaches near State Route 79
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| Name origin: Spanish; "Agua Dulce" meaning "sweet water" | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | California |
| Region | San Diego County |
| Tributaries | |
| - right | North Fork Sweetwater River |
| Cities | Descanso, La Presa, Bonita, National City, Chula Vista |
| Source | Upper Green Valley |
| - location | Cuyamaca Mountains |
| - elevation | 4,809 ft (1,466 m) |
| - coordinates | 32°59′03″N 116°32′04″W / 32.98417°N 116.53444°W |
| Mouth | Sweetwater Marsh |
| - location | Between National City and Chula Vista |
| - elevation | 13 ft (4 m) |
| - coordinates | 32°38′34″N 117°06′53″W / 32.64278°N 117.11472°WCoordinates: 32°38′34″N 117°06′53″W / 32.64278°N 117.11472°W |
| Length | 55 mi (89 km) |
| Basin | 230 sq mi (596 km2) |
| Discharge | mouth |
| - average | 14.7 cu ft/s (0 m3/s) |
| - max | 45,500 cu ft/s (1,288 m3/s) |
| - min | 0 cu ft/s (0 m3/s) |
 Map of the river basin
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The Sweetwater River is a 55-mile (89 km) long stream in San Diego County, California.
From its headwaters high in the Cuyamaca Mountains, the river flows generally southwest, first through rugged hinterlands but then into the urban areas surrounding its mouth at San Diego Bay. Its drainage basin covers more than 230 square miles (600 km2), all of it within San Diego County. Towns on the river include Descanso, La Presa and Chula Vista.
The term "Sweetwater" is a name often given to freshwater which tastes good in regions where much of the water is bitter to the taste. The Spanish called the river "Agua Dulce", a name they applied to good clear water anywhere they lived.
The river rises as an intermittent trickle flowing out of Upper Green Valley, deep in the semi-arid Cuyamaca Mountains near Stonewall Peak. It flows south-southwest, receiving Harper Creek from the left and Stonewall Creek from the right, then coursing through narrow valleys and passing the small town of Descanso. As the river enters the Cleveland National Forest, it cuts through a steep and spectacular rocky gorge and crosses under a high bridge of Interstate 8. Shortly after leaving the national forest, it flows into Loveland Reservoir, formed by Loveland Dam, the first of two major dams along the Sweetwater.
Continuing westwards, it receives the North Fork from the right, travels by the city of Rancho San Diego and passes through the Rancho San Diego Golf Course. The river then enters Sweetwater Reservoir, which is formed by the Sweetwater Dam. Below the dam, the Sweetwater flows through Sweetwater Regional Park in a generally suburban area, passing the city of Bonita. Bending northwest, the river enters a flood control channel and passes between National City and Chula Vista. California State Route 54 straddles the river, with eastbound lanes to the south and westbound lanes to the north, for a few miles between I-5 and I-805. The tidal portion of the river, which starts roughly here, is called the Sweetwater Marsh. The river empties into San Diego Bay about 7.5 miles (12.1 km) southeast of downtown San Diego.
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Wikipedia