Willow Creek is a major north-flowing stream in
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, and is a tributary of the
Green River Green River may refer to:
Rivers
Canada
* Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River
*Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte
*Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...
. The creek drains a large remote area of the East Tavaputs Plateau, flowing into the Green River south of
Ouray.
Geography
Willow Creek begins at the confluence of its East and West Forks about north of
Thompson, Utah, in
Grand County, to the north of the
Roan Cliffs
The Roan Cliffs are a series of desert mountains and cliffs in eastern Utah and western Colorado, in the western United States that are distinct from (but closely associated with) the Book Cliffs.
Description
While Roan Cliffs are "remote and inac ...
divide. East Willow Creek starts at an elevation of at a spring along the Roan Cliffs; the shorter West Willow Creek originates at an elevation of . East Willow Creek is joined by She Canyon before combining with West Willow Creek to form the main stem. From there, Willow Creek flows northward into
Uintah County
Uintah County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 35,620. Its county seat and largest city is Vernal. The county was named for the portion of the Ute Indian tribe that lived in the b ...
, through the
Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation
The Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation (, ) is located in northeastern Utah, United States. It is the homeland of the Ute Indian Tribe (Ute dialect: Núuchi-u), and is the largest of three Indian reservations inhabited by members of the Ute Tribe ...
, across the East Tavaputs Plateau at the bottom of a rugged gorge.
It receives several major tributaries from the east, including Meadow Creek, Main Canyon, and Sunday School Canyon. Below Sunday School Canyon, Willow Creek flows through a wider valley along the east side of Big Pack Mountain to its confluence with Hill Creek, its largest tributary. Above their confluence, Hill Creek is almost the same length as Willow Creek, flowing roughly parallel and several miles to the west of Willow Creek. Below this point Willow Creek turns northwest to join the Green River about south of
Ouray and below the confluence of the
White River.
There are no dams on Willow Creek, but there is one dam on Hill Creek, forming Towave Reservoir. Willow Creek is used for agriculture, mainly livestock water supply. The creek has high levels of dissolved solids and is considered an impaired water body.
See also
*
List of rivers of Utah
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Utah in the United States, sorted by drainage basin, watershed.
Colorado River
The Colorado River is a major river in the Western United States, emptying into the Gulf of California. Rivers are list ...
*
List of tributaries of the Colorado River
The principal tributaries of the Colorado River of North America are the Gila River, the San Juan River, the Green River, and the Gunnison River.
Tributary tree
The following is a tree demonstrating the points at which the major and minor trib ...
References
External links
Rivers of Utah
Rivers of Grand County, Utah
Tributaries of the Green River (Colorado River tributary)
Tributaries of the Colorado River in Utah
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