Whitewater River (California)
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The Whitewater River is a river in western Riverside County, California, except for a small upstream portion in southwestern San Bernardino County. The river's headwaters are atop San Gorgonio Mountain in the San Bernardino Mountains. It flows southeast through the Colorado Desert, disappearing underground near Palm Springs, except during heavy flows. Much of the water eventually sinks into the porous desert floor, recharging the groundwater of the Coachella Valley. However, some water reaches the Salton Sea, where the river has been channelized to direct its floodwaters. Parts of the river are dry during the summer, but some have water all year. About 20 miles from its source, the river meets its main tributary, the San Gorgonio River. Chino Creek, Tahquitz Creek, Palm Canyon Creek and Deep Creek join the river in the desert. Most of the upper reaches of the river are in Bureau of Land Management and United States Forest Service.
