2 USGS Streamgages · Santa Clara River system
Piru Creek flows and levels
Piru Creek is gauged at 2 USGS streamgages in California, each tracked by Rivermatics. The mainstem runs about 69 miles (111 km) from headwaters to outlet. It drains into the Santa Clara River system. Drainage area at the gauges ranges from 372 square miles at Piru Creek above Lake Piru, CA up to 425 at Piru Creek below Santa Felicia Dam, CA. The gauged reach falls about 201 feet, from 1,062 feet down to 861. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned 14-day flow outlook for every one of them.
Gauges on this river, upstream to downstream
Ordered by drainage area, which is how far down the river each gauge sits. April and July figures are long-term median daily flows for that month from the USGS record — historical normals, not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Gauge | State | Drainage sq mi | Elevation ft | April p50 cfs | July p50 cfs | Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piru Creek above Lake Piru, CA | CA | 372 | 1,062 | 42.2 | 12.2 | 14-day |
| Piru Creek below Santa Felicia Dam, CA | CA | 425 | 861 | 7 | 7.7 | 14-day |
Typical flow by month at Piru Creek below Santa Felicia Dam, CA
The furthest-downstream gauge on this river, so the fullest flow it carries here. Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 49 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Month | Low p10 | Typical p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.8 | 6.1 | 24.4 | |
| February | 1.4 | 6.4 | 61.7 | |
| March | 3.2 | 6.8 | 100.4 | |
| April | 3.8 | 7 | 97 | |
| May | 4.5 | 7.3 | 100.3 | |
| June | 4.8 | 8.2 | 105.1 | |
| July | 4.5 | 7.7 | 197.4 | |
| August | 4.5 | 7.7 | 226.9 | |
| September | 4.8 | 89 | 365.4 | |
| October | 5.9 | 83.2 | 344.1 | |
| November | 4.8 | 8.1 | 154.6 | |
| December | 4.4 | 7 | 36.7 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does the Piru Creek run highest?
- September, on the long-term record at Piru Creek below Santa Felicia Dam, CA — the furthest-downstream gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river. Median daily flow there is about 89 cfs that month, against 6.1 cfs in January, the lowest. Upstream gauges peak on their own schedule; the table on this page gives April and July for each.
- How many gauges are on the Piru Creek?
- Rivermatics tracks 2 USGS streamgages on the Piru Creek, across California. Each has its own page with the site's full flow record and monthly normals. The river may carry other gauges that publish neither daily values nor discharge statistics; those are not tracked here.
- Is there a flow forecast for the Piru Creek?
- Yes, at 2 of the 2 gauges. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on each basin's observed flows, weather and snowpack, and issues a daily outlook reaching 14 days ahead: a median estimate inside a confidence band, not a single number to bet on. Every forecast is scored against days the model never trained on, and that track record is published on each gauge's live screen.
- What river system is the Piru Creek part of?
- The Piru Creek drains into the Santa Clara River system — it is a tributary somewhere in that chain, following the flowpath down to its terminal river. Rivermatics builds this from the USGS/geoconnex reference-mainstem network rather than from names.
- Can I use Piru Creek data for flood or safety decisions?
- No. Rivermatics provides estimates, not guarantees, and the readings and forecasts here may be delayed, inaccurate, or wrong. Do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision. Check the National Weather Service and USGS directly, and use your own judgment.