Lakes & Streams

Loch Lomond

Ponds Lagoons & Marshes Springs Rivers Swimming Holes Larger Creeks Smaller Creeks Waterfalls Related Pages

A watershed is the the entire geographical area drained by a waterway. The USGS recognizes the San Lorenzo-Soquel watershed, that basically covers the entire county. (Parts of the Pajaro River and Waddell Creek are included.) Since any basin can be a watershed, It is simple to create a watershed for political consideration. There are at least 1,500 watershed districts in California. In Santa Cruz County there are four major watersheds: San Lorenzo River watershed, Soquel Creek watershed, Aptos Creek watershed, and Pajaro River watershed. Politically, the county has six government water districts and numerous private and company water systems. Technically, the
more political divisions on a river, the more likely it will be protected. The State of California only assesses
about 15½% of the 211,513 miles of streams and rivers in California.

Santa Cruz County has 770 miles of waterways (compared to 1,870 miles of roadways). Of the 607 square miles of Santa Cruz County, 162 square miles are water (26.67%).

The natural and constructed bodies of water in Santa Cruz County.
Lakes

• College Lake (Watsonville)
  

• Drew Lake (Watsonville)
  

• Freedom Lake (Corralitos)
  

• Kelly Lake (Watsonville)
  

• Loch Lomond (Lompico)
  

• Merk Lake (Corralitos)
  

• Moran Lake (Eastside)
  

• Pinto Lake (Watsonville)
  

• Ramer Lake (DeLaveaga Golf Course)
  

• Schwan Lake (Eastside)
  

• Simas Lake (Northeast of Watsonville)
  

• Soda Lake (Aromas)
  

• Lake Tynan (Watsonville)

Ponds

• Antonelli Pond
  

• San Lorenzo Park
  

• Westlake Pond

Lagoons & Marshes

• Bonita Lagoon
  

• Buzzard Lagoon
  

• Corcoran Lagoon
  

• Hanson Slough
  

• Harkins Slough
  

• Gallighan Slough
  

• Jessie Street Marsh
  

• Neary Lagoon
  

• Pajaro Dunes Lagoon
  

• Struve Slough
  

• Watsonville Slough
  

• White's Lagoon
  

• Younger Lagoon

Springs

• Badger Spring
  

• Dodero Spring
  

• Majors Spring
  

• Sulphur Springs
  

• Travertine Springs

Rivers

• Pajaro River
  

• San Lorenzo River
  

Swimming Holes

• Big Rock Hole

• Garden of Eden

Larger Creeks

• Aptos Creek
  

• Branciforte Creek
  

• Boulder Creek
  

• Fall Creek
  

• Moore Creek
  

• Scott Creek
  

• Soquel Creek
  

• Waddell Creek (Includes East Waddell Creek and West Waddell Creek)

Smaller Creeks

Lacking distinguishing features, most creeks look alike. This stream is Fall Creek.

In 2008, Santa Cruz County began a project to put a sign identifying a stream where it crosses a road. This is an effort to make people more aware of the water resources.

• Amaya Creek
  

• Ano Nuevo Creek
  

• Arana Gulch Creek
  

• Arroyo de San Pedro Regaldo
  

• Baldwin Creek
  

• Barrel Mill Creek
  

• Bates Creek
  

• Bean Creek
  

• Bear Creek
  

• Bennett Creek
  

• Berry Creek
  

• Big Creek
  

• Blooms Creek
  

• Boomer Creek
  

• Borregas Creek
  

• Bridge Creek
  

• Bull Creek
  

• Butano Creek
  

• Carbonera Creek
  

• Cascade Creek
  

• Casserly Creek
  

• Clear Creek
  

• Cold Dip Creek
  

• Corralitos Creek
  

• Craig Springs Creek
  

• Deadman Gulch
  

• Deer Creek
  

• Eagle Creek
  

• Elliot Creek
  

• Fall Creek-Pescadero
  

• Finney Creek
  

• Gazos Creek
  

• Gold Gulch Creek
  

• Granite Creek
  

• Green Oaks Creek
  

• Green Valley Creek
  

• Henry Creek
  

• Hinckley Creek
  

• Hooker Creek
  

• Huckleberry Creek
  

• Iverson Creek
  

• Jameson Creek
  

• Kelly Creek
  

• Kings Creek
  

• Last Chance Creek
  

• Lombardi Creek
  

• Lompico Creek
  

• Love Creek
  

• Laguna Creek
  

• Los Gatos Creek
  

• Love Creek
  

• Maddock Creek
  

• Majors Creek
  

• Mill Creek
  

• Majors Creek
  

• Newell Creek
  

• Noble Gulch Creek
  

• Ocean Villa Creek
  

• Oil Creek
  

• Old Womans Creek
  

• Opal Creek
  

• Pescadero Creek
  

• Pogonip Creek
  

• Porter Creek
  

• Powder Mill Creek
  

• Queseria Creek
  

• Redwood Creek-Big Basin
  

• Redwood Creek-Pogonip
  

• Reggiardo Creek
  

• Rider Creek
  

• Ringtail Creek
  

• Rodgers Creek
  

• Sempervirens Creek
  

• Shingle Mill Creek
  

• Union Creek
  

• Three Shack Creek
  

• Tin Can Creek
  

• Trestle Creek
  

• Trout Creek
  

• Two Bar Creek
  

• Valencia Creek
  

• Water Tank Creek
  

• Whitehouse Creek
  

• Wilder Creek
  

• Winter Creek
  

• Zayante Creek

Waterfalls

• Berry Creek Falls
  

• Big Creek Falls
  

• Castle Rock Falls
  

• Feather Falls
  

• Five Finger Falls
  

• Golden Cascades
  

• Maple Falls
  

• Sempervirens Falls
  

• Silver Falls
  

• Tip Toe Falls
  

• Woodwardia Falls

Related Pages

• Santa Cruz City Page of Historical Waterway Names
  

• Parks & Open Spaces
  

• Beaches & Surf Spots
  

• Local Books
  

• Wetlands of Watsonville Nature Center

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