Today Temescal Creek begins as the
Elsinore Spillway Channel, an overflow channel that now confines its upper reaches through the middle of downtown
Lake Elsinore, then turns and passes northwestward into the
Warm Springs Valley, past its confluence with
Wasson Canyon Wash, on the right, until it is past the water treatment plant. There it is permitted to spread out into a natural creek, where it has its confluence with
Arroyo Del Toro and
Stovepipe Canyon Wash on its right, then passes through
Walker Canyon gathering in the
Gavilan Wash on its right midway on its length, then to where
Alberhill Canyon Creek enters on the right Temescal Creek emerges from Walker Canyon. There it has its confluence with the wash of
Rice Canyon Creek on its left near
Alberhill and
Ceramic Factory Canyon Creek on its right across the creek from the ceramic factory. Shortly afterward it crosses underneath the
Escondido (I-15) Freeway, is joined by
Horsetheif Canyon Creek on its left and flows into
Lee Lake, formed by an earthen dam across the creek at the northwest end of the valley before its confluence on its left with
Indian Canyon Creek. The creek is then blocked to the northwest by a ridge of the Santa Ana Mountains running northeast to a steep 1577 foot summit overlooking the deep canyon between it and
Estelle Mountain. This ridge divides the Temescal Valley below from the upper valley of Temescal creek. Descending through this unnamed canyon, the creek makes a half circle around the ridge to the north of Lee Lake to enter the Temescal Valley. The creek levels out after leaving the Estelle Mountain canyon, passing through a natural riverbed, the creek receives
Mayhew Canyon Wash from the left,
Dawson Canyon Wash from the right,
Coldwater Canyon Creek and the waters of
Brown Canyon Wash and its tributary of
McBribe Canyon Creek from the left,
Olsen Canyon Wash and
Cajalco Creek from the right and
Bedford Canyon Wash and
Joseph Canyon from the left before entering
Temescal Canyon. As it emerges from Temescal Canyon, north of
El Cerrito the creek enters a second reservoir and is forced into a concrete channel. It then flows through the northern part of the city of
Corona taking in the
Main Street Canyon Wash and
Oak Avenue Drain on its left and
Arlington Valley Channel on its right before entering into the
Prado Flood Control Basin, formed by the
Prado Dam across the Santa Ana River. The basin consists of a series of wetlands where Temescal Creek merges with the Santa Ana. In floods, however, the area is a lake, and Temescal Creek's confluence with the larger river is submerged. ==Tributaries of Temescal Creek==