Los Baños Creek
{{short description|Stream in Merced County, California}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Los Baños Creek
| name_native = {{native name|es|El Arroyo de Los Baños}}
| name_native_lang =
| name_other =
| name_etymology = Spanish
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| map_size = 280
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| pushpin_map = California
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| pushpin_map_caption= Location of mouth
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = United States
| subdivision_type2 = State
| subdivision_name2 = California
| subdivision_type3 = Region
| subdivision_name3 = Merced County
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| source1 =
| source1_location = Confluence of North Fork Los Banos Creek and South Fork Los Banos Creek
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|36|57|32|N|121|06|35|W|display=inline}}{{gnis|255108|Los Banos Creek}}
| source1_elevation = {{convert|633|ft|abbr=on}}
| mouth =
| mouth_location = Mud Slough, 2.5 miles upstream from the mouth of the Merced River
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|37|17|58|N|120|56|56|W|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation = {{convert|69|ft|abbr=on}}
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| extra = {{designation list|embed=yes|designation1=California|designation1_offname=Los Baños|designation1_number=550}}
}}
Los Baños Creek or Los Banos Creek, originally El Arroyo de los Baños,Mildred B. Hoover, et al. Historic Spots in California. 3rd edition. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1966, p.204-205. is a {{convert|40|mi|km}} longU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329155652/http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |date=2012-03-29 }}, accessed April 15, 2024 tributary stream of the San Joaquin River in Merced County, California. From its source in the central Diablo Range it flows east into the Central Valley where it turns northeast to the west edge of Los Banos. From there Los Baños Creek heads north to Mud Slough, 2.5 miles (4 km) upstream from its confluence with the San Joaquin River.
History
Los Baños Creek is reported to have taken its name from the pools, near its head, called Los Baños de Padre Arroyo for Padre Felipe Arroyo de la Cuesta, who was at Mission San Juan Bautista from 1808 to 1833 and conducted proselytizing missions into the San Joaquin Valley.{{cite book |title=California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names |author=Erwin Gustav Gudde |year=1960 |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley, California |page=183}}
El Arroyo de los Baños was a watering place on El Camino Viejo in the San Joaquin Valley between Arroyo de Quinto and Arroyo de San Luis Gonzaga.Mildred B. Hoover, et al. Historic Spots in California. 3rd edition, Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1966, p.202, 204-205.
Los Baños de Padre Arroyo is registered as California Historical Landmark #550.{{cite ohp|550|Los Baños|2012-10-09}}
Watershed
The Los Baños Creek mainstem has its source at the confluence of North Fork Los Banos Creek and South Fork Los Banos Creek. The South Fork Los Banos Creek crosses northeast from San Benito County into Merced County to the confluence and is {{convert|19.2|mi|km}} long. The North Fork Los Banos Creek originates east of Antimony Peak{{cite gnis|254569|Antimony Peak}} and the border of San Benito and Merced Counties. It is {{convert|8.2|mi|km}} long.
The Los Banos Creek Detention Dam, also known as the Los Banos Detention Dam, was constructed between 1965 and 1966 to provide flood protection for the San Luis Canal, Delta-Mendota Canal, the city of Los Banos, and other downstream developments. The dam formed the Los Banos Reservoir.{{cite gnis|227662|Los Banos Reservoir}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Central Valley Rivers}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Los Banos Creek}}
Category:Tributaries of the San Joaquin River