| Jalama Creek | |
| Pushpin Map: | California |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of mouth |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | California |
| Subdivision Type3: | Region |
| Subdivision Name3: | Santa Barbara County, California |
| Length: | 11.3miles |
| Source1: | Western Santa Ynez Mountains |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 34.5011°N -120.3608°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 1610feet 34° 30' 9.95" N 120° 21' 39.57" W |
| Mouth: | Confluence with the Pacific Ocean |
| Mouth Location: | 4.6miles north of Point Conception |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 34.5111°N -120.5028°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 0feet |
| Tributaries Right: | Escondido Creek, Gasper Creek, Espada Creek |
Jalama Creek is a 11.3adj=midNaNadj=mid[1] westwards-flowing stream that begins in the western Santa Ynez Mountains and flows to Jalama Creek estuary and Jalama Beach County Park and the Pacific Ocean.
Jalama Creek and the historic Jalama station are derived from the Purisimeño Chumash village named "Xalam", meaning "bundle".[2]
The Jalama Creek watershed drains 24sqmi of the western Santa Ynez Mountains.[3] Flows in the upper reaches are seasonal, becoming perennial at the confluence with its Escondido Creek tributary about 3.6miles from its creek mouth.[3] Further downstream the next two tributaries are Gasper Creek and Espada Creek, after which it reaches the Jalama Creek estuary, and ultimately, the Pacific Ocean.
Jalama Creek and its estuary are home to federally endangered Southern California steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).[4] [5] [6] In 2017, The Nature Conservancy purchased 24,329 acres of land in the area, now renamed the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve, which covers 97% of the Jalama Creek watershed. Over 100 studies of the areas biology and ecology are underway.[6] The Nature Conservancy removed two dams on lower Jalama Creek, restoring access for steelhead trout to 12.3miles of the stream.