Susie Creek is a southward flowing U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed July 3, 2017

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 ...

that begins on the south flank of

Lone Mountain Lone Mountain may refer to a place in the United States: * Lone Mountain, Tennessee, an unincorporated community * Lone Mountain (California), a hill in San Francisco, California ** Lone Mountain, San Francisco, California, the associated neighbor ...

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 ...

and is a tributary to 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 ...

at Carlin in

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 ...

in northeastern

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 ...

History

A pioneer Scots family, on their overland trek to California in 1849, camped near the stream and named four creeks, including Susie Creek, Maggie Creek, Mary Creek, and Amelia Creek after their four daughters.

Watershed

The Susie Creek watershed drains . The Susie Creek watershed is bounded by the

on the west and the

Adobe Range The Adobe Range is a minor mountain range of Nevada. Located northwest and north of Elko, Nevada, it runs generally north-south for about , and has an area of about . Its highest point is an unnamed summit of and the named peaks include Sherman P ...

to the north and east.

Ecology

Maggie Maggie is a common short form of the name Magdalena, Magnolia, Margaret. Maggie may refer to: People Women * Maggie Adamson, Scottish musician * Maggie Aderin-Pocock (born 1968), British scientist * Maggie Alderson (born 1959), Aust ...

and Susie Creeks, which enter the Humboldt River near Carlin, have benefited from 20 years of work by ranchers, agencies, mines, and non-profit groups via improvements in grazing techniques and specific projects. These projects, which include installation of fish passable culverts, have led to the return of migrating

Lahontan cutthroat trout Lahontan cutthroat trout (''Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi'') is the largest subspecies of cutthroat trout, and the state fish of Nevada. It is one of three subspecies of cutthroat trout that are listed as federally threatened. Natural history ...

(LCT, ''Onchorhynchus clarkii henshawi'').

North American beaver The North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') is one of two Extant taxon, extant beaver species, along with the Eurasian beaver (''Castor fiber''). It is native to North America and introduced in South America (Patagonia) and Europe (primari ...

(''Castor canadensis'') seem to have been making a comeback in

possibly due to less fur trapping combined with reduced consumption of riparian willow and other vegetation by cattle. Stream flows are more perennial, making more water available for wildlife and livestock and protecting populations of native trout. By working with satellite imagery and aerial photography,

Trout Unlimited Trout Unlimited (TU) is a US non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of freshwater streams, rivers, and associated upland habitats for trout, salmon, other aquatic species, and people. It is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Th ...

was able to compare conditions from as far back as 20 to 30 years ago to conditions in 2013. For the Susie Creek Basin as whole, riparian vegetation increased by over 100 acres, beaver dams increased from zero to 139, aerial extent of open water increased by over 20 acres and length of wetted stream increased by almost three miles.

References

{{authority control Rivers of Nevada Rivers of Elko County, Nevada