Back Creek is a
stream
A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream ...
in eastern
St. Francois County, in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
.
It is a tributary of
Wolf Creek which it joins about four miles southeast of
Farmington, Missouri
Farmington is a city in St. Francois County located about southwest of St. Louis in the Lead Belt region in Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,217. It is the county seat of St. Francois County. Farmington was established in ...
.
[''Missouri Atlas & Gazetteer,'' DeLorme, 1998, First edition, p. 57 ]
The
headwaters
The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source.
Definition
The ...
arise about one mile north of
Libertyvile at and the stream flows northwest to west to its
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
with Wolf Creek at .
[
Back Creek was named for the fact due to its irregular mouth, the creek backs up during high water.]
See also
*List of rivers of Missouri
List of rivers in Missouri (U.S. state).
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name.
Mississippi River
Arkansas River
*Mississippi River
**Arkansas River (AR ...
References
Rivers of St. Francois County, Missouri
Rivers of Missouri
{{StFrancoisCountyMO-geo-stub