Whitewater River (California)

Whitewater River
The course of the Whitewater River highlighted on a map of the Salton Sea drainage basin
Location
Country	United States
State	California
Cities	Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indio, Coachella, Mecca
Physical characteristics
Source	Confluence of North and Middle Forks [1][2]
• location	Near San Gorgonio Mountain, San Bernardino Mountains, San Bernardino County
• coordinates	34°03′48″N 116°44′50″W / 34.06333°N 116.74722°W / 34.06333; -116.74722[3]
• elevation	4,787 ft (1,459 m)
Mouth	Salton Sea
• location	South of Mecca, Riverside County
• coordinates	33°30′30″N 116°03′26″W / 33.50833°N 116.05722°W / 33.50833; -116.05722[3]
• elevation	−233 ft (−71 m)
Length	53.9 mi (86.7 km)[4]
Basin size	1,500 sq mi (3,900 km2)
Discharge
• location	Indio[5]
• average	3.53 cu ft/s (0.100 m3/s)[6]
• minimum	0 cu ft/s (0 m3/s)
• maximum	11,400 cu ft/s (320 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Mission Creek,[7] Garnet Wash,[8] Thousand Palm Canyon Wash[9]
• right	South Fork Whitewater River,[10] San Gorgonio River, Chino Wash, Palm Canyon Wash,[11] Cathedral Canyon[12]
National Wild and Scenic River
Type	Wild, Recreational
Designated	March 12, 2019[13]

The Whitewater River is a small permanent stream in western Riverside County, California, with some upstream tributaries in southwestern San Bernardino County. The river's headwaters are in the San Bernardino Mountains, and it terminates at the Salton Sea in the Colorado Sonoran Desert. The area drained by the Whitewater River is part of the larger endorheic Salton Sea drainage basin.

Initially called Agua Blanco by early Spanish explorers,^[14] and later translated into English as white water, the river received its name for its milky appearance created by the silicate and lime sediments it carries.^[15] The community of Whitewater was named after the river, and became a key stop on the Bradshaw Trail stagecoach runs.