Bishop Creek (Inyo County)

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A Southern California Edison hydroelectric power station along Bishop Creek.

Bishop Creek is also a dated variant of Baxter Creek in Richmond/El Cerrito, California

Bishop Creek is a large stream in Inyo County, California. It is the largest tributary of the Owens River, with runoff at an average rate of 69,000 acre-feet per year (2.7 m³/s). It has five hydroelectric plants owned by Southern California Edison, Bishop Creek #2–6. Bishop Creek #1 is no longer in operation. Parts of the creek run through pipelines, or penstocks, to increase output at the power plants.

Bishop Creek has three forks, North, Middle and South. All have their headwaters in the eastern Sierra Nevada, near the border with Fresno County. The forks all flow into lakes while still at high elevations. The North Fork flows into North Lake, the Middle Fork flows into Lake Sabrina and the South Fork flows into South Lake. The North and Middle forks combine shortly after they flow out of their respective lakes. The South Fork combines with the other two shortly thereafter. The creek continues roughly east, flowing past the city of Bishop before its confluence with the Owens River.