San Carlos River (United States)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| San Carlos River | |
|---|---|
   | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • coordinates | 33°27′07″N 110°11′23″W / 33.4519982°N 110.1898172°W |
| Mouth | |
• coordinates | 33°11′56″N 110°24′39″W / 33.1989481°N 110.4109296°W |
| Length | 30 miles (48 km) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Gila River |
The San Carlos River is a 37-mile (60 km) long[1] tributary of the Gila River in southeast Arizona, United States. The river drains an arid region of 1,026 square miles (2,660 km2), situated mostly within the San Carlos Indian Reservation.[2]
The river originates as the confluence of Ash Creek (30 miles (48 km) long) and Kidde Creek in the Natanes Mountains, a subrange of the Gila Mountains, at 4,300 feet (1,300 m) above sea level. Flowing west, it enters a deep canyon along the Gila–Graham County line. After receiving the Blue River from the right, the river is impounded in a small reservoir, Takalai Lake. Below the lake, the valley widens, and the river turns south, passing San Carlos and Peridot, before emptying into the northern arm of San Carlos Lake, a reservoir on the Gila River.
Most of the river's flow originates from springs in the canyons above Takalai Lake. The springs are considered sacred by the San Carlos Apache.[3] The average annual discharge near Peridot is 54.2 cubic feet per second (1.53 m3/s), with a maximum of 54,800 cubic feet per second (1,550 m3/s) on January 8, 1993.[2] Although the upper reaches of the river are perennial, the lower river is frequently dry during the early summer as a result of irrigation diversions.