Around here
Around Santa Cruz Creek
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Source: USGS GNIS · Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
Santa Cruz Creek is a 16.0 mile river near Santa Barbara Sportfishing Charters in California. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Santa Cruz C near Santa Ynez CA (site 11124500). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 5. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1942 to 2026
Santa Cruz Creek typically runs highest in March, at a median 14 cfs, and lowest in August, at 0.0 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 5,000 cfs, in 1969.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 4.3 | 1.0 to 14 |
| February | 9.4 | 3.5 to 43 |
| March | 14 | 4.2 to 56 |
| April | 13 | 3.1 to 36 |
| May | 6.6 | 1.7 to 15 |
| June | 1.9 | 0.2 to 6.6 |
| July | 0.2 | 0.0 to 1.4 |
| August | 0.0 | 0.0 to 0.6 |
| September | 0.0 | 0.0 to 0.4 |
| October | 0.0 | 0.0 to 0.4 |
| November | 0.0 | 0.0 to 0.7 |
| December | 0.5 | 0.0 to 3.8 |
Typical is the median of each month’s daily median values, and the usual range runs from the median 25th to the median 75th percentile, across about 84 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Santa Cruz C near Santa Ynez CA (site 11124500). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Made to print
Put Santa Cruz Creek on your wall
This river section as an art print, drawn over the real terrain with its miles, plus the trails, roads and peaks around it. Pick the colors and the size, and see the finished print before you buy. From $39, shipping included.
Embed this gauge on your site
Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show Santa Cruz Creek's live streamflow, water level and 7-day trend. It reads the USGS gauge directly, updates itself, and links back here.
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