Ashland Creek is a tributary of
Bear Creek in the U.S. state of
Oregon.
It joins Bear Creek near
Ashland, from the larger stream's confluence with the
Rogue River.
The
main stem of Ashland Creek begins at Reeder Reservoir, an artificial impoundment of about that provides municipal water to the city of Ashland. Two tributaries (forks) of the main stem feed the reservoir. Arising on the flanks of
Mount Ashland, East Fork Ashland Creek is long, and West Fork Ashland Creek is long. The forks flow generally north through the
Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest to the reservoir.
Below the reservoir, the main stem continues north through a canyon, then through a channel confined by urban development and into the broad
alluvial valley of Bear Creek. The stream gradient averages about 9 percent on the upper reaches and 3 percent within the city.
Watershed
Elevations within the Ashland Creek watershed vary from about at the
mouth
In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...
to about in the mountains. The watershed covers about or 20,000 acres. In 2001, this included (rounded to the nearest hundred) of forests; of city development; of rural development; of farms, and smaller allotments for other uses. About of roads crisscrossed the watershed.
Floods
Erosion along the tributaries and upper reaches coupled with rain-on-snow events contribute to sediment transport and floods along Ashland Creek. About of sediment per year accumulates in Reeder Reservoir, but a flood in 1974 deposited quickly, forcing the city to temporarily shut down the municipal water supply.
In addition to moving sediment, heavy flows block the creek with woody debris, creating dams that, upon breaking, cause flood surges. Five significant floods, the last in 1997, damaged property in Ashland during the second half of the 20th century.
The 1997 rain-on-snow event caused many streams in the Bear Creek watershed to reach
100-year flood
A 100-year flood is a flood event that has a 1 in 100 chance (1% probability) of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.
The 100-year flood is also referred to as the 1% flood, since its annual exceedance probability is 1%.Holmes, R.R., Jr. ...
levels, resulting in $4.5 million in damages.
See also
*
List of rivers of Oregon
References
External links
Bear Creek Watershed CouncilTelevision video clip of the 1997 flood
{{authority control
Rivers of Jackson County, Oregon
Rivers of Oregon