Willow Creek (Utah)

Willow Creek
Country United States
State Utah
Source Roan Cliffs
 - location Grand County
 - elevation 6,794 ft (2,071 m)
 - coordinates 39°20′32″N 109°39′51″W / 39.34222°N 109.66417°W / 39.34222; -109.66417 [1]
Mouth Green River
 - location Uintah County
 - elevation 4,642 ft (1,415 m)
 - coordinates 40°01′37″N 109°44′35″W / 40.02694°N 109.74306°W / 40.02694; -109.74306Coordinates: 40°01′37″N 109°44′35″W / 40.02694°N 109.74306°W / 40.02694; -109.74306 [1]
Length 78 mi (126 km) [2]
Basin 897 sq mi (2,323 km2) [3]
Discharge for below Hill Creek near Ouray
 - average 26.5 cu ft/s (1 m3/s) [3]
 - max 11,000 cu ft/s (311 m3/s)
 - min 0 cu ft/s (0 m3/s)
Location of the mouth of Willow Creek in Utah

Willow Creek is a major north-flowing stream in Utah and is a tributary of the Green River. The creek drains a large remote area of the East Tavaputs Plateau, flowing into the Green River south of Ouray.

Geography

Willow Creek begins at the confluence of its East and West Forks about 25 miles (40 km) north of Thompson, Utah, in Grand County, to the north of the Roan Cliffs divide. East Willow Creek starts at an elevation of 8,504 feet (2,592 m) at a spring along the Roan Cliffs; the shorter West Willow Creek originates at an elevation of 8,359 feet (2,548 m).[4] East Willow Creek is joined by She Canyon before combining with West Willow Creek to form the main stem. From there, Willow Creek flows northward into Uintah County, through the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation, across the East Tavaputs Plateau at the bottom of a rugged gorge.[5] It receives several major tributaries from the east including Meadow Creek, Main Canyon and Sunday School Canyon. Below Sunday School Canyon, Willow Creek flows through a wider valley along the east side of Big Pack Mountain to its confluence with Hill Creek, its largest tributary. Above their confluence, Hill Creek is almost the same length as Willow Creek, flowing roughly parallel and several miles to the west of Willow Creek. Below this point Willow Creek turns northwest to join the Green River about 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Ouray and 3 miles (4.8 km) below the confluence of the White River.[5]

There are no dams on Willow Creek, but there is one dam on Hill Creek, forming Towave Reservoir. Willow Creek is used for agriculture, mainly livestock water supply. The creek has high levels of dissolved solids and is considered an impaired water body.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Willow Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 1979-12-31. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  2. ↑ "USGS National Atlas Streamer". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  3. 1 2 "USGS Gage #09308000 Willow Creek near Ouray, Utah: Monthly Statistics". National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. 1947–1983. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  4. ↑ "West Willow Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 1979-12-31. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  5. 1 2 USGS Topo Maps for United States (Map). Cartography by United States Geological Survey. ACME Mapper. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  6. ↑ "Uinta Watershed Management Unit Water Quality Assessment" (PDF). Utah Department of Environmental Quality. 2004. Retrieved 2017-05-02.
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