View source for Estrella River

{{Distinguish|Estrella River (Costa Rica)}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox river
| name               = Estrella River
| name_native        = 
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| name_etymology     = 
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image              = 
| image_caption      = 
| map                = 
| map_size           = 
| map_caption        = 
| pushpin_map        = USA California
| pushpin_map_size   = 300
| pushpin_map_caption= Location of the mouth of the Estrella River in California
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type2  = State
| subdivision_name2  = [[California]]
| subdivision_type3  = Region
| subdivision_name3  = [[San Luis Obispo County, California|San Luis Obispo County]]
| subdivision_type4  = 
| subdivision_name4  = 
| subdivision_type5  = 
| subdivision_name5  = 
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length             = {{convert|28.5|mi|km|abbr=on}}
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<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1            = Confluence of [[Cholame Creek (Estrella River)|Cholame Creek]] and [[San Juan Creek (Estrella River)|San Juan Creek]]
| source1_location   = [[Shandon, California|Shandon]]
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|35|39|21|N|120|22|13|W|display=inline}}<ref name="gnis">{{gnis|242072|Estrella River}}</ref>
| source1_elevation  = 
| mouth              = [[Salinas River (California)|Salinas River]]
| mouth_location     = [[San Miguel, San Luis Obispo County, California|San Miguel]]
| mouth_coordinates  = {{coord|35|44|30|N|120|41|33|W|display=inline,title}}<ref name="gnis" />
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}}
The '''Estrella River''' is a {{convert|28.5|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}}<ref name=NHD>U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329155652/http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |date=2012-03-29 }}, accessed March 15, 2011</ref> [[tributary]] [[river]] in eastern [[San Luis Obispo County, California]]. The river forms at the confluence of [[Cholame Creek (Estrella River)|Cholame Creek]],<ref name=Cholame>{{cite gnis|240576|Cholame Creek}}</ref> from the north, and [[San Juan Creek (Estrella River)|San Juan Creek]],<ref name=SanJuanCreek>{{cite gnis|273493|San Juan Creek}}</ref> from the south, near the town of [[Shandon, California|Shandon]]. From there it flows west-northwest to its confluence with the [[Salinas River (California)|Salinas River]], of which it is a tributary, 8 miles (12.8 km) north of [[Paso Robles]].  Cholame Creek has its headwaters on the southwest side of [[Middle Mountain (Monterey County, California)|Middle Mountain]] and its tributary, [[Little Cholame Creek]], begins on the northeast side.<ref>{{GNIS|244906|Little Cholame Creek}}</ref><ref>{{GNIS|245870|Middle Mountain}}</ref>  The creek drains the [[Cholame Valley]], which is bordered by [[Diablo Range]] on the east and [[Cholame Hills]], a northern extension of the [[Temblor Range]], on the west.<ref name=Cholame/> The average [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] in the area ranges from {{convert|11|to|17|in}}, increasing northward.

A portion of the Temblor Range drains into San Juan Creek, but the nearby [[Carrizo Plain]] has been cut off from the [[drainage basin|watershed]] by [[tectonic]] action. The creek also drains part of the [[La Panza Range]] in the southwest of the watershed. The vast majority of the land in the watershed is rangeland, but there is also some cropland, pastureland and developed areas.<ref name=SanJuanCreek/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050413233312/http://www.slocountywater.org/pasoroblesbasin/finalreport/hydrolgeology.pdf San Luis Obispo County Water]
*[http://soils.usda.gov/survey/online_surveys/california/san_luis/carrizo.pdf United States Department of Agriculture - Carrizo Plain]{{dead link|date=June 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060923043316/http://www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp/2005/estrella.html United States Department of Agriculture - Estrella Watershed]

{{Salinas River}}

[[Category:Rivers of San Luis Obispo County, California]]
[[Category:Salinas River (California)]]
[[Category:Rivers of Southern California]]