Wolf Creek (Nevada County, California)
| Wolf Creek (Nevada County, California) | |
| River | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | California |
| Region | Nevada County, California |
| Mouth | Bear River |
| Length | 25 mi (40 km) |
| Basin | 78 sq mi (202 km2) |
Wolf Creek is a waterway in Nevada County, California, US. The creek is 25 miles (40 km) long. The watershed, approximately 78 square miles (200 km2), is heavily mined. Most of the creek is situated in the lower montane zone. Its altitude ranges between 3,000 feet (910 m) (headwaters at Banner Mountain, also known as Banner Hill) to 1,200 feet (370 m) (confluence with the Bear River). Vegetation in the valley varies from alpine pines at higher elevations, to blue pines at mid elevations, and ponderosa pine mixed with evergreen forests at lower elevations. From 1850 to 1950 gold was mined in the rich formations of the Mother Lode in the heart of Banner Mountain.
The creek's watershed area is 78 miles (125.53 km), which consists almost entirely of the lower montane zone where the incidence of snowfall precipitation is comparatively low. The elevation range is between 3,000 feet (910 m) at the headwaters to about 1,200 feet (370 m) at its confluence with the Bear River. The river course from the source to its confluence is about 25 miles (40 km) and the flow is in the north south direction, which is helpful in the development of productive and diverse ecosystems. Wolf Creek, along with its tributaries, forms the major tributary of the Bear River. It is part of the upper region of the Bear River watershed. Bear River drains into the Feather River, which joins the Sacramento River, which finally debouches into San Francisco Bay.
The larger part of the Banner Mountain area in the southern part of its tract is drained by Wolf Creek. From Grass Valley, it runs south without larger tributaries. At Grass Valley, it forks into two creeks, which have a general east-west direction. The fall varies from 50 feet (15 m) to the mile in the Grass Valley basin to 130 feet (40 m) in the vicinity of the Omaha mine. The smaller tributaries to the creek flow with gentle grade over the undulating, plateau-like country, forming marshes at their sources, but on approaching the main stream they descend to it with a steep, torrential grade. East of Osborne Hill the drainage is toward Rattlesnake Creek, a tributary of Wolf Creek.
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