The North Fork of the Humboldt River is an approximately long tributary of the

Humboldt River The Humboldt River is an extensive river drainage system located in north-central Nevada. It extends in a general east-to-west direction from its headwaters in the Jarbidge, Independence, and Ruby Mountains in Elko County, to its terminus in the ...

in northern

Elko County Elko County is a county in the northeastern corner of Nevada, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53,702. Its county seat is Elko. The county was established on March 5, 1869, from Lander County. Elko County is the fourth ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

Course

The river has its

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 ...

on the north slopes of

McAfee Peak McAfee Peak is the highest mountain in the Independence Mountains of northern Elko County, Nevada, United States. It ranks twenty-first among the most topographically prominent peaks in the state. The peak is located within the Mountain City Ra ...

in the

Independence Mountains The Independence Mountains are a mountain range in northern Elko County, Nevada, United States. They are called Settoya in Shoshoni. The range reaches a maximum elevation of on the summit of McAfee Peak. The range extends northward approximately ...

of northeastern

. It quickly exits the mountains and turns southward for approximately , joining its waters with numerous other streams. Making a sharp bend to the east, it flows through a small gorge called Devil's Gap and then combines with Beaver Creek before resuming its southward course. The river, often with no more than a trickle of water left after its long journey through the dry hills of north-central Elko County, finally flows into the main branch of the

about northeast of the city of Elko.

History

The North Fork watershed is remote. Some mining activity in the area took place in about 1870, followed by cattle ranching and later sheep ranching in the 1890s. Problems of

overgrazing Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature res ...

and erosion in the

, which form the headwaters of the North Fork, prompted the federal government to establish the Independence Forest Reserve in 1906. This reserve has since been incorporated into the

Mountain City Ranger District A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...

of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. NoForkHumboldt

References

External links

Tributaries of the Humboldt River Rivers of Elko County, Nevada Rivers of Nevada Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest {{Nevada-river-stub