newell.] TEJON HOUSE CREEK, CALIFORNIA. 79 
The principal stations on the San Joaquin and its tributaries in 
operation in 1894 were at Bakersfield, Kern County; Kingsburg, Tulare 
County; Herndon, Fresno County; Modesto, Stanislaus County, and 
Lodi, San Joaquin County. 
TEJON STATION, ON TEJON HOUSE CREEK. 
Tejon House Creek rises in the mountains at the southern or upper 
end of the San Joaquin Valley, south of Tehachapi Pass, and flows in a 
general westerly and southwesterly direction, the waters being finally 
lost in the gravels of the open valley, or, in time of flood, passing out 
upon the plain, flow into the marshes about Kern Lake. 
Measurements of this creek were made during 1894 by Mr. J. B. 
Lippincott, near the Tejon ranch house. The drainage basin above 
this point is estimated to be about 17 square miles. It rises in alti- 
tude from 1,400 feet at the ranch house, 2 miles below the mouth of the 
canyon, to 9,214 feet on Tehachapi Mountain. The average rainfall at 
Fort Tejon, whose elevation is 2,300 feet, is 18 inches, and at the ranch 
house, 12 inches. The underlying rocks of the catchment basin are 
granitic, and the soils mainly clays, the conditions being such as to 
produce a considerable run-off. The following are the results of meas- 
urements made by Mr. Lippincott during 1894: 
Second-feet. 
January 10 60 
January 21 60 
March 4 80 
June 24 6. 5 
September 5 9 
The gage at this point is read by Mr. E. M. Pogson, agent of the 
Tejon ranches, Bakersfield, Cal. These observations are made as often 
as convenient, and cover all decided changes in the amount of water. 
The next stream of considerable size to the north is C alien te Creek, 
along whose course the Southern Pacific Railroad follows from Tehach- 
api Pass down into the San Joaquin Valley. This stream fluctuates 
widely, and it has not been deemed practicable to establish a station 
on it. The State engineer of California attempted to make a series of 
measurements, but was compelled to abandon the project, although 
estimates of its discharge were prepared covering the period from 
November, 1878, to October, 1894. The stream near the railroad station 
of Caliente is dry for the greater part of the year. The drainage basin 
above this point is largely covered with sandy soil, gently undulating, 
and not favorable for a large run-off, the discharge taking place mainly 
in time of flood. 
BAKERSFIELD STATION, ON KERN RIVER. 
Measurements of the discharge of Kern River above the head of the 
canals have been made for a number of years under the direction of Mr. 
Walter James, chief engineer of the Kern County Land Company, 
