San Luis Rey River
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San Luis Rey River is a river in northern San Diego County, California. The river's headwaters are in the Cleveland National Forest near Palomar Mountain. The river drains into the Pacific Ocean on the northern end of the city of Oceanside. The river is over 55 miles long and drains 562 square miles. There is little water in the river during most of the year, but it can have very large flows during winter storms. The dam that forms Lake Henshaw is the only one on the river itself, but the river's drainage is extensively dammed. During the last seven miles, the river flows through a 400-foot wide earthen channel with levees on each side to prevent flooding, although the rest of the river remains unchannelized. Urbanization, mining and agriculture have caused substantial deterioration of the watershed. Lake Henshaw, relatively close to the headwaters, is a source of drinking water. However, the water in the lower part of the river is only used for groundwater recharge.
