Hermosa Creek is a tributary of the
Animas River
Animas River (''On-e-mas''; es, Río de las Ánimas) is a river in the western United States, a tributary of the San Juan River, part of the Colorado River System.
The Animas-La Plata Water Project was completed in 2015. The project pumps w ...
in
San Juan and
La Plata counties in Colorado. The creek rises near Hermosa Peak in
San Juan County, Colorado
San Juan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 705, making it the least populous county in Colorado. The county seat and the only incorporated municipality in the county is Silvert ...
and then flows generally south to
La Plata County and to its confluence with the
Animas River
Animas River (''On-e-mas''; es, Río de las Ánimas) is a river in the western United States, a tributary of the San Juan River, part of the Colorado River System.
The Animas-La Plata Water Project was completed in 2015. The project pumps w ...
in
Hermosa.
Protected areas
Most of the creek lies in the
San Juan National Forest
The San Juan National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering over 1,878,846 acres (2,935.7 sq mi, or 7,603.42 km²) in western Colorado. The forest occupies land in Archuleta, Conejos, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezu ...
. In 2014, Congress passed and the president signed the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act. The legislation created the Hermosa Creek Special Management Area and the adjacent
Hermosa Creek Wilderness
The Hermosa Creek Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in La Plata County, Colorado. It s located in the San Juan National Forest north of Durango. It was established by the Hermosa Creek Protection Act of 2014, which also created the adjacen ...
. Much of the creek and its watershed lies within these two federally-protected areas.
Effect of the 416 Fire
In 2018, the
416 Fire burned thousands of acres of the Hermosa Creek watershed. Long known for its pristine and clear waters, the creek has been severely affected by the erosion occurring as a result of the fire.
See also
*
List of rivers of Colorado
This is a list of streams in the U.S. State of Colorado.
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Alphabetical list
The following alphabetical list includes many important streams that flow through the State of Colorado, including all 158 named rivers. Where available, t ...
References
{{reflist
Rivers of La Plata County, Colorado
Rivers of San Juan County, Colorado