| Murrieta Creek | |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | California |
| Subdivision Type3: | Region |
| Subdivision Name3: | Riverside County |
| Subdivision Type4: | District |
| Subdivision Name4: | Wildomar, Murrieta, Temecula |
| Subdivision Type5: | Cities |
| Subdivision Name5: | Wildomar, Murrieta, Temecula |
| Source1 Location: | at the confluence of the West Fork Murrieta Creek and North Fork Murrieta Creek, Riverside County |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 33.5794°N -117.2464°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 1173feet[1] |
| Mouth: | Confluence with Temecula Creek, forming Santa Margarita River |
| Mouth Location: | 0.5 miles southeast of Temecula, Riverside County |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 33.4744°N -117.1417°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 981feet |
| Tributaries Left: | West Fork Murrieta Creek or Bear Creek, Cole Creek, Miller Canyon Creek, Linda Rosa Creek |
| Tributaries Right: | North Fork Murrieta Creek, Warm Springs Creek, Santa Gertrudis Creek, Waddel Wash, Empire Creek, Arroyo Santiago |
Murrieta Creek runs 13miles southeasterly through southwestern Riverside County, California, United States, through the cities of Wildomar, Murrieta, and Temecula, ending southeast of the city center of Temecula, where it has its confluence with Temecula Creek and forms the head of the Santa Margarita River.
The creek and town of Murrieta are not named for the bandit, Joaquin Murrieta, but for the pioneer sheep ranchers, Izaquel and Juan Murrieta, who purchased the Rancho Pauba and Rancho Temecula Mexican land grants. His brother returned to Spain, but Juan brought 100,000 sheep to the valley in 1873, using the meadows to feed his herd.[2] [3]
Murrieta Creek drains over 220sqmi.[4] The creek has several minor tributaries, including flows from Lake Skinner whose outlet is Tucalota Creek below the reservoir, which then flows to Santa Gertrudis Creek, then Murrieta Creek.[5] Warm Springs Creek is another tributary of Murrieta Creek with its source being in the Domenigoni Valley.