Cuyama River
title: "Cuyama River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-southern-california", "cuyama-valley", "rivers-of-santa-barbara-county,-california", "rivers-of-san-luis-obispo-county,-california", "rivers-of-ventura-county,-california", "los-padres-national-forest", "san-emigdio-mountains"] topic_path: "technology/web" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuyama_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Cuyama River |
| image | Cuyama_river_Hwy_166.jpg |
| image_caption | Cuyama River upstream of Twitchell Reservoir |
| map | Santa_maria_river_map.png |
| map_size | 250 |
| map_caption | Map of the Santa Maria River watershed, including the Cuyama River |
| pushpin_map | USA California |
| pushpin_map_size | 250 |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location of the Cuyama River in California |
| subdivision_type1 | Country |
| subdivision_name1 | United States |
| subdivision_type2 | State |
| subdivision_name2 | California |
| length | 118 mi |
| discharge1_location | Above Twitchell Reservoir |
| discharge1_min | 0 cuft/s |
| discharge1_avg | 23.1 cuft/s |
| discharge1_max | 26200 cuft/s |
| source1 | Confluence of Alamo Creek and Dry Canyon Creek |
| source1_location | Near Ventucopa, Ventura County |
| source1_coordinates | |
| source1_elevation | 3807 ft |
| mouth | Santa Maria River |
| mouth_location | near Garey, San Luis Obispo and |
| Santa Barbara Counties | |
| mouth_coordinates | |
| mouth_elevation | 354 ft |
| basin_size | 1132 sqmi |
| tributaries_left | Santa Barbara Creek, Cottonwood Creek (Cuyama River), Mustang Creek, Pine Creek (Cuyama River) |
| tributaries_right | Quatal Creek, Huasna River |
| :: |
| name = Cuyama River | name_native = | name_native_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = | image = Cuyama_river_Hwy_166.jpg | image_caption = Cuyama River upstream of Twitchell Reservoir | map = Santa_maria_river_map.png | map_size = 250 | map_caption = Map of the Santa Maria River watershed, including the Cuyama River | pushpin_map = USA California | pushpin_map_size = 250 | pushpin_map_caption= Location of the Cuyama River in California | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = United States | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = California | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = | length = 118 mi | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= Above Twitchell Reservoir | discharge1_min = 0 cuft/s | discharge1_avg = 23.1 cuft/s | discharge1_max = 26200 cuft/s | source1 = Confluence of Alamo Creek and Dry Canyon Creek | source1_location = Near Ventucopa, Ventura County | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = 3807 ft | mouth = Santa Maria River | mouth_location = near Garey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = 354 ft | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = 1132 sqmi | tributaries_left = Santa Barbara Creek, Cottonwood Creek (Cuyama River), Mustang Creek, Pine Creek (Cuyama River) | tributaries_right = Quatal Creek, Huasna River | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra =
The Cuyama River (Chumash: Kuyam, meaning "Clam") is a 118 mi river in southern San Luis Obispo County, northern Santa Barbara County, and northern Ventura County, in the U.S. state of California. It joins the Sisquoc River forming the Santa Maria River. The river's name comes from an Indian village named for the Chumash word kuyam, meaning "clam" or "freshwater mollusk".
Course
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Dry_Canyon_Creek_aerial.jpg" caption="Aerial view of Dry Canyon Creek, with the confluence of Alamo Creek to form the Cuyama River at bottom"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Quatal_Canyon_aerial.jpg" caption="Quatal Canyon and Quatal Creek, tributary to Cuyama River"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Cuyama_River,_Cuyama,_California,_aerial.jpg" caption="Aerial view of the Cuyama River from the west, with Cuyama, California, at lower left"] ::
The Cuyama River's source is in San Emigdio Mountains, within the Chumash Wilderness area of the Los Padres National Forest at an altitude above 8000 ft. The river's upper reaches are in Ventura County, where several tributaries join before the mainstem river exits Los Padres National Forest. After leaving the national forest the river enters Santa Barbara County and flows through the 45 mi Cuyama Valley, which lies between the Caliente Range and the Sierra Madre Mountains. The river flows past the towns of Cuyama and New Cuyama. Through most of the Cuyama Valley and downriver to its confluence with the Sisquoc River the Cuyama River forms the approximate boundary between Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County. Downstream from the Cuyama Valley the river enters Twitchell Reservoir, after which it flows another 6 mi to its confluence with the Sisquoc River. The joined streams are called the Santa Maria River, which flows about 20 mi to the Pacific Ocean.
The river's course has evolved over its history by fault displacement.
Management
About 66 mi from its source the river reaches Twitchell Reservoir, formed by Twitchell Dam. The dam provides flood control and allows water to be released gradually, so that as much of it as possible will seep into the soil and recharge the groundwater aquifer. The water is released as quickly as possible while still allowing it to percolate into the ground, so the reservoir is often empty. The river and the reservoir are usually dry during the summer, when there is little or no rain. However, large flows can occur following winter storms.
References
References
- (1960–2013). "USGS Gage #11136800 on the Cuyama River near Santa Maria, CA". U.S. Geological Survey.
- (1960–2013). "USGS Gage #11136800 on the Cuyama River near Santa Maria, CA". U.S. Geological Survey.
- {{cite gnis
- Bright, William. (1998). "1500 California Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning". [[University of California Press]].
- U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map] {{webarchive. link. (2012-03-29 , accessed March 15, 2011)
- Bright, William. (1998). "1500 California Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning". [[University of California Press]].
- [http://www.tpl.org/content_documents/F07_santamaria.pdf Santa Maria River Tributaries: Cuyama River and Sisquoc River] {{Webarchive. link. (2007-10-31 , The Trust for Public Land)
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