Cottonwood Creek (Sacramento River)
| Cottonwood Creek | |
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | California |
| Tributaries | |
| - left | North Fork Cottonwood Creek, Antelope Creek, Dry Creek |
| - right | Middle Fork Cottonwood Creek, Little Dry Creek, South Fork Cottonwood Creek, Patterson Creek |
| Source | Confluence of North and Middle Forks |
| - location | near Janesville |
| - elevation | 541 ft (165 m) |
| - coordinates | 40°23′41″N 122°31′33″W / 40.39472°N 122.52583°W |
| Mouth | Sacramento River |
| - location | about 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Cottonwood |
| - elevation | 341 ft (104 m) |
| - coordinates | 40°22′40″N 122°11′58″W / 40.37778°N 122.19944°WCoordinates: 40°22′40″N 122°11′58″W / 40.37778°N 122.19944°W |
| Length | 68 mi (109 km) |
| Basin | 938 sq mi (2,429 km2) |
| Discharge | for Cottonwood, about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) from the mouth |
| - average | 874 cu ft/s (25 m3/s) |
| - max | 86,000 cu ft/s (2,435 m3/s) |
| - min | 15 cu ft/s (0 m3/s) |
 Location of Cottonwood Creek in California
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Cottonwood Creek is a major stream in Northern California in the United States and is a tributary of the Sacramento River. About 68 miles (109 km) long measured to its uppermost tributaries, the creek drains a large rural area bounded by the crest of the Coast Ranges, traversing the northwestern Sacramento Valley before emptying into the Sacramento River near the town of Cottonwood. For its entire length, it defines the boundary of Shasta County and Tehama County. Because Cottonwood Creek is the largest undammed tributary of the Sacramento River, it is known for its Chinook salmon and steelhead runs.
The headwaters of Cottonwood Creek originates as North, Middle and South Forks and numerous smaller tributaries along the north-western rim of the Sacramento Valley. The North Fork rises near 6,122-foot (1,866 m) Shasta Bally, a peak in the southern Klamath Mountains. It flows southwest, through a small reservoir, Rainbow Lake. Below Rainbow Lake it flows south, receiving Jerusalem Creek from the right, and turns east, emerging from the mountains near the town of Ono, where it turns southeast to flow through the Klamath foothills. The larger Middle Fork originates at about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) on McFarland Ridge in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and flows east to Platina, where it turns briefly north before heading east again, cutting a deep canyon before its confluence with Beegum Creek, its major tributary. Below Beegum Creek it forms the border of Shasta and Tehama Counties. The North and Middle Forks join near Janesville to form the main stem of Cottonwood Creek; below this confluence the main stem continues to define the border between the two counties.
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Wikipedia