Crystal Lake Camp Grounds Running water, Streams

There are a number of streams and creeks in the camp grounds which are running all year around. The volume of water that runs through them changes during the year, however.

The USFS warns against drinking the water up in the San Gabriel Mountains due to health risks because of deer and other animals which may use the streams for their toilets, and due to industrial pollution and other toxic wastes which may accumulate in the streams.

I've personally never had any problem drinking the water, and I've been drinking it for the past 20 years. I'm careful about which streams that I drink from and where I drink from them, but it's probably a very stupid thing to do to drink these streams.

Such water is usually considered safe to drink by outdoor professionals if the water is boiled for at least 1 minute and then is left to sit for at least 3 minutes while covered. Filtration devices can also be used however filters of at least 2 microns should really be used which makes filtration rather difficult.

The year-long streams in the area have their start as seeps that come from the ground, usually where two hillsides meet to form a ravine, or from the base of a cliff face.

One such seep is shown in the photograph and its location is at North 34 degrees, 19.550 by West 117 degrees, 50.369 at 5802 feet along Lake Road. The water seeps from out of the ground, collects into a small pond, then a metal pipe collects the water as it flows from the ground and the water is carried under Lake Road where the pipe discharges the water in to a ravine.

The Soldier Creek hiking trail (trailhead located at North 34 degrees, 19.354 by West 117 degrees, 49.976 at 5656 feet) follows along Soldier Creek which also gets its start from two seeps which join at the bottom of a ravine.

One seep has its waters collected and then discharged below at North 34 degrees, 19.597 by West 117 degrees, 50.168 at 5749 feet. That water spreads out along the ground and then heads down the hillside.

Another trickle of water crosses the road that leads up to Deer Flats and it's located at North 34 degrees, 19.716 by West 117 Degrees, 49.718 at 5949 feet (the accuracy of that reading is poor.)