Hot Creek (Mono County, California)
| Hot Creek | |
|---|---|
Steam from geothermal springs rise above Hot Creek
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Mono |
| Basin features | |
| Main source |
Twin Lakes 8,563 ft (2,610 m) 37°37′05″N 119°00′28″W / 37.61806°N 119.00778°W |
| River mouth |
Owens River 6,844 ft (2,086 m) 37°42′30″N 118°47′01″W / 37.70833°N 118.78361°WCoordinates: 37°42′30″N 118°47′01″W / 37.70833°N 118.78361°W |
Hot Creek, starting as Mammoth Creek, is a stream in Mono County of eastern California, in the Western United States. It is within the Inyo National Forest.
The creek begins its course in the eastern Sierra Nevada named as Mammoth Creek. It originates as an outflow of Twin Lakes, just south of Mammoth Mountain and above the town of Mammoth Lakes. The stream is primarily sourced from melted snow water at 8,500 feet (2,600 m) above sea level. It is quite cold, rarely being above 50 °F (10 °C).
As Mammoth Creek leaves the Sierra and flows east into the Long Valley Caldera it is joined by warmer water from geothermal springs at the Hot Creek State Fish Hatchery. From this confluence the stream is named Hot Creek, though its water temperature seldom exceeds 68 °F (20 °C) until it reaches Hot Creek Gorge, 8 miles (13 km) east of Mammoth Lakes. In the Hot Creek Gorge, numerous hot springs near and in the stream bed add hot water into the stream. Its mouth is at the confluence with the Owens River upstream from Crowley Lake.
The springs near Hot Creek host one of the two known Tui chub populations of the endangered Owens Tui chub species.
The Long Valley Observatory of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a volcano observatory, monitors spring activity, water temperatures and chemistry, and stream flow, as well as the caldera volcanic activity.
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