Crescent Creek
Crescent Creek on the Deschutes National Forest
Crescent Creek is located in Oregon
Crescent Creek
Location of the mouth of Crescent Creek in Oregon
Location
CountryUnited States
StateOregon
CountyKlamath
Physical characteristics
SourceCrescent Lake
 • locationDeschutes National Forest, Cascade Range
 • coordinates43°30′05″N 121°58′25″W / 43.50139°N 121.97361°W / 43.50139; -121.97361[1]
 • elevation4,853 ft (1,479 m)[2]
MouthLittle Deschutes River
 • coordinates
43°31′45″N 121°39′06″W / 43.52917°N 121.65167°W / 43.52917; -121.65167[1]
 • elevation
4,324 ft (1,318 m)[1]
Length30 mi (48 km)[3]
TypeRecreational
DesignatedOctober 28, 1988

Crescent Creek is a 30-mile (48 km) tributary of the Little Deschutes River in Klamath County in the U.S. state of Oregon.[3] Beginning at Crescent Lake on the eastern flank of the Cascade Range, the river flows generally east through parts of the Deschutes National Forest to meet the Little Deschutes between Crescent and La Pine.[4]

A 10-mile (16 km) stretch of Crescent Creek was named part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 1988. Designated "recreational", the segment below Crescent Lake flows through a narrow canyon and a forest of old-growth pine.[5] One of Crescent Creek's tributaries, Big Marsh Creek, is also part of the wild rivers system.[6] The upper 12 miles (19 km) of the Little Deschutes is part of the system too.[7]

The creek supports native rainbow trout, non-native brown trout and brook trout, and other species.[8] The healthy and remote riparian zone along the upper creek supports a diversity of grasses, sedges, willows, and many species of birds, mammals, and amphibians.[8]

Crescent Creek Campground, about 9 miles (14 km) west of Crescent, has nine individual camping sites, potable water, and a vault toilet. Open from mid-May through September, it is relatively remote and quiet, with opportunities for bird-watching and fishing.[9]

The flow of Crescent Creek is regulated by storage and releases of water for irrigation from Crescent Lake. A stream gauge operated by the United States Bureau of Reclamation at the outlet of Crescent Lake shows an average highest discharge of about 140 cubic feet per second (4.0 m3/s) to Crescent Creek in August when irrigation releases are highest. The average discharge drops to its lowest, about 10 cubic feet per second (0.28 m3/s), in November when water is being stored.[10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Cascade Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  2. ↑ Source elevation derived from Google Earth using GNIS coordinates.
  3. 1 2 Palmer, Tim (2014). Field Guide to Oregon Rivers. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press. p. 219. ISBN 978-0-87071-627-0.
  4. ↑ Oregon Road and Recreation Atlas (5th ed.). Santa Barbara, California: Benchmark Maps. 2012. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-929591-62-9.
  5. ↑ "Crescent Creek". National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Big Marsh Creek". National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Little Deschutes River". National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Crescent Creek". United States Forest Service. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Crescent Creek Campground". United States Forest Service. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Crescent Creek at Crescent Lake". United States Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
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