Webcam Santa Ana River at Prado - Currently Under Maintenance

This live webcam is currently undergoing maintenance and will be back up and running in mid-August.

The Santa Ana River, the largest river entirely within Southern California, winds its way from the San Bernardino Mountains through the landscapes of San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Flowing southwest, it cuts through the northern Santa Ana Mountains, eventually passing through the urban expanse of Orange County before finally meeting the Pacific Ocean. Spanning an impressive length of 96 miles, the river's vast drainage basin covers an area of 2,650 square miles.

One prominent feature along the Santa Ana River is the Prado Dam, a vital earth-fill structure nestled in the Chino Hills near Corona, California, in Riverside County. This dam controls the river's flow, creating the Prado Flood Control Basin reservoir. Constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Lower Santa Ana River Canyon, the dam plays a crucial role in mitigating floods and forms an essential component of the region's flood control system, situated about 30.5 miles upstream from the river's mouth. The watershed area upstream from the dam encompasses a significant portion, approximately 2,255 square miles, of the total 2,650 square miles drainage basin. The construction of the Prado Dam was authorized in 1936, and its necessity was proven during the flood of 1938, prompting its completion in 1941. In addition to flood control, the Prado Flood Control Basin also serves as a valuable resource for groundwater recharge operations, further enhancing its importance to the region's water management efforts.