San Jose Creek

San Jose Creek is an intermittent, tributary stream of the San Gabriel River in Los Angeles County, California. The mouth of San Jose Creek is at an elevation of 194 feet (59 meters) at its confluence with the San Gabriel River, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southwest of Bassett, California. Its source is at 960 feet near the Los Angeles County Fairplex, at 34°04′50″N 117°45′38″W, where it has its confluence with Thompson Wash, actually a continuation of the creek into the San Gabriel Mountains. From Thompson Wash, San Jose Creek flows nearly 20 miles (32 km) westwards from Pomona into the San Gabriel River through the Pomona Valley and San Gabriel Valley. Because of its strategic location between the San Jose Hills and Puente Hills, the Union Pacific Railroad laid tracks along its route connecting Los Angeles with San Bernardino and Salt Lake City.

Map of the San Gabriel River watershed.

From 1829, San Jose Creek was a stopping place on the Old Spanish Trail first used by Antonio Armijo. In 1837, much of its upper reaches were enclosed within the Rancho San Jose.