Whychus Creek
| Whychus Creek | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location of the mouth of Whychus Creek in Oregon | |
| Etymology | Native American (Indian) name for the creek, according to 19th-century surveyor,Robert S. Williamson[2] |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | DeschutesandJefferson |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Broken Top,Cascade Range |
| • location | Deschutes National Forest,Deschutes County |
| • coordinates | 44°05′21″N121°41′36″W/ 44.08917°N 121.69333°W[1] |
| • elevation | 7,617 ft (2,322 m)[3] |
| Mouth | Deschutes River |
• location | Crooked River National Grassland,Jefferson County |
• coordinates | 44°27′35″N121°20′07″W/ 44.45972°N 121.33528°W[1] |
• elevation | 2,110 ft (640 m)[1] |
| Basin size | 253 sq mi (660 km2)[4] |
| Type | Wild, Scenic |
| Designated | October 28, 1988 |
Whychus Creekis a tributary of theDeschutes RiverinDeschutesandJeffersoncounties in theU.S. stateofOregon.[5]Formerly namedSquaw Creek,considered derogatory in the 21st century,[2]it was renamed in 2006.[6]ExplorerJohn C. Frémontcamped along the stream in 1843 but did not identify it by name.Robert S. Williamson,a surveyor who camped there in 1855, said its Indian (Native American) name wasWhy-chus.[2]
Course
[edit]Whychus Creek begins about 7,600 feet (2,300 m) above sea level[1]at the base of Bend Glacier onBroken Topin theCascade Range.[7]Flowing generally north through theThree Sisters Wilderness,the stream plunges over 200-foot (61 m)Upper Chush Fallsbefore receiving Park Creek from theleftand plunging over 50-foot (15 m)Chush Falls.[8]Downstream of the waterfalls, the creek receives South Fork and North Fork from the left and Snow Creek from theright.[7]
Turning northeast, the creek intersects Whychus Creek Canal,[7]which diverts water to McKenzie Canyon Reservoir and other parts of the Three Sisters Irrigation District.[9]Flowing by the southeast side of the city ofSisters,Whychus Creek passes underU.S. Route 20andOregon Route 126,which overlap in this vicinity, before receiving Indian Ford Creek from the left. Continuing northeast, the creek leaves Deschutes County and enters Jefferson County and theCrooked River National Grassland.[7]The creek empties into the Deschutes River downstream of the city ofRedmondand about 123 miles (198 km) from the larger stream's confluence with theColumbia River.[10]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^abcd"Whychus Creek".Geographic Names Information System(GNIS).United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980.RetrievedMay 1,2012.
- ^abcMcArthur, Lewis A.;Lewis L. McArthur(2003) [1928].Oregon Geographic Names(7th ed.).Portland,Oregon:Oregon Historical SocietyPress. p. 907.ISBN0-87595-277-1.
- ^Source elevation derived fromGoogle Earthsearch using GNIS source coordinates.
- ^Upper Deschutes Watershed Council (2009)."Whychus Creek Restoration Monitoring Plan"(PDF).Upper Deschutes Watershed Council. p. 1.RetrievedMay 1,2012.
- ^"Whychus Creek".Geographic Names Information System.United States Geological Survey,United States Department of the Interior.November 28, 1980.RetrievedAugust 4,2011.
- ^"Sisters Country Timeline".Sisters Country Historical Society. 1996.RetrievedMay 1,2012.
- ^abcdOregon Atlas & Gazetteer.Freeport, Maine: DeLorme Mapping. 1991. p. 50.ISBN0-89933-235-8.
- ^Anderson, David L. (2007).Waterfalls of the Pacific Northwest.Woodstock, Vermont: The Countryman Press. pp. 183–85.ISBN978-0-88150-713-3.
- ^"Who We Are".Three Rivers Irrigation District.RetrievedMay 1,2012.
- ^United States Geological Survey(USGS)."United States Geological Survey Topographic Map".TopoQuest.RetrievedMay 1,2012.The map quadrangles includeriver mile(RM) markers along the Deschutes River.
External links
[edit]
Media related toWhychus Creekat Wikimedia Commons- Photosof the creek by Ian Sane
- Real-time flow data, Whychus Creek–United States Bureau of Reclamation
- Whychus Creek Restoration–Oregon Public Broadcastingnews story andOregon Field Guidevideo
