Temecula Creek, formerly known as the Temecula River, runs through southern Riverside County, California, United States, past the rural communities of the Temecula Valley along the State Route 79 corridor, such as Aguanga, and ending southeast of the city of Temecula. The creek is filled with boulders, and is typically dry and sandy. It is a relatively undeveloped coastal-draining watershed. Until the 1920s water flowed in Temecula Creek year-round.HistoryA Luiseño Indian rancheria named Temeca or Temeko was named as early as 1785. In 1828 Temecula became the name of a rancho of Mission San Luis Rey. Alfred Kroeber noted that the name may be derived from the Luiseño word temet meaning "sun". The village of Temecula originated on a bluff on the south bank of Temecula Creek opposite the old Wolf's Store according to an 1853 survey. HIn 1948, the owners of the Vail Ranch built a 132ft dam on Temecula Creek, the Vail Lake Dam, approximate ly above the confluence with the Santa Margarita River. Today the lake is a public recreational use area.
