Deer Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed October 19, 2017 southwestward-flowing stream in Northern California that flows through

Tehama County, California Tehama County ( ; Wintun for "high water") is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,829. The county seat and largest city is Red Bluff. Tehama County comprises the ...

. It is an eastside tributary of the

Sacramento River The Sacramento River ( es, Río Sacramento) is the principal river of Northern California in the United States and is the largest river in California. Rising in the Klamath Mountains, the river flows south for before reaching the Sacramento� ...

. As one of only three remaining Sacramento River tributaries supporting native runs of the genetically distinct Central Valley spring-run

Chinook salmon The Chinook salmon (''Oncorhynchus tshawytscha'') is the largest and most valuable species of Pacific salmon in North America, as well as the largest in the genus '' Oncorhynchus''. Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other ...

, it is a stronghold for this state and federally

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...

fish as well as other salmonids.

History

Now Deer Creek flows through the Ishi Wilderness, named for Ishi, the last member of the Native American Yana or

Yahi The Yana were a group of Native Americans indigenous to Northern California in the central Sierra Nevada, on the western side of the range. Their lands, prior to encroachment by white settlers, bordered the Pit and Feather rivers. They w ...

people who had originally lived in the area. The Spanish had named what was later translated to Deer Creek, Arroyo de los Venados or Rio de los Venados, after the immense deer herd that lived in the region.

Black-tailed deer Two forms of black-tailed deer or blacktail deer that occupy coastal woodlands in the Pacific Northwest of North America are subspecies of the mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus''). They have sometimes been treated as a species, but virtually all r ...

(''Odocoileus hemionus columbianus'') still thrive in the Deer Creek watershed and are a part of the large Tehama deer herd that at one time numbered 100,000.

Watershed and course

Deer Creek and its tributaries drain . The creek flows roughly southwest for most of its length. Its headwaters are in

Lassen National Forest Lassen National Forest is a United States national forest of 1,700 square miles (4,300 km2) in northeastern California. It is named after pioneer Peter Lassen, who mined, ranched and promoted the area to emigrant parties in the 1850s. Wildl ...

at an elevation of on Butt Mountain in the southern Cascade Range, several miles (9 km) west of

Lake Almanor Lake Almanor is a large reservoir in northwestern Plumas County, northeastern California, United States. The reservoir has a capacity of and a maximum depth of about 90 feet (27 meters). It is formed by Canyon Dam on the North Fork of the Feath ...

. The creek's upper reaches are through

meadows A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or artificia ...

and dense

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s. The Lost Creek tributary sources in Lake Wilson and joins Deer Creek along Highway 89, as does Gurnsey Creek (also known as North Fork Deer Creek). After leaving these meadows and broader valleys, Deer Creek flows through a steep rock canyon until it reaches the Sacramento Valley. About after entering the valley, it joins the Sacramento River at an elevation of only , about south-southeast of the small city of

Tehama, California Tehama (Wintun for "high water") is a city in Tehama County, California, United States. The population was 418 at the 2010 census, down from 432 at the 2000 census. Etymology Tehama is most commonly believed to be derived from the Wintun wor ...

. Two natural falls are located in the upper Deer Creek watershed: Lower and Upper Deer Creek Falls. Lower Deer Creek Falls has a functioning but sub-standard fish ladder. Upper Deer Creek Falls represents the natural limit of anadromy for spring-run Chinook salmon, and although it also has a fish ladder, it is no longer opened in the spring as it was historically. While the upper watershed is public land primarily in the

, there are large private ranches in the mid- and lower-elevation areas. The creek has four diversions in its lower reaches, all occurring after the stream flows into the Sacramento Valley. Three use diversion

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

s and one uses a ditch. There are no storage dams on the creek. Except for the diversions, Deer Creek is still relatively natural, largely because the upper two-thirds of the creek flow through protected land in the

Ecology and habitat

In addition, Deer Creek is a refugial stronghold for spring-run Chinook salmon (''Oncorhynchus tshawytscha''), and the stream supports Central Valley anadromous

steelhead trout Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the common name of the anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout or redband trout (O. m. gairdneri). Steelhead are native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific basin in Northeast Asia and ...

(''Oncorhynchus mykiss''), fall-run Chinook salmon, late-fall-run Chinook salmon, and Pacific lamprey (''Entosphenus tridentatus''). Historically, spring-run Chinook salmons populations averaged around 2,800, but numbers began to decline in the 1980s to the low hundreds. The Sierra Meadows Partnership is studying the ecological impact, including carbon storage related to montane meadow restoration, including on the Childs Meadows portion of Gurnsey Creek, an upper Deer Creek tributary. Scientists Kelli Franson and Kristen Podolak are evaluating the changes in the meadow after restriction of cattle from the riparian zone, along with construction of beaver dam analogues (BDAs). Species of particular concern in the region include the great gray owl (''Strix nebulosa''), willow flycatcher (''Empidonax traillii''), and greater sandhill crane (''Antigone canadensis''), all dependent on riparian habitat which has been largely degraded or lost due to

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 ...

or development in California. A 2015 bird survey by Point Blue Conservation Science found four to ten times more meadow birds species richness and abundance in natural versus degraded meadows, including Gurnsey Creek's Childs Meadows and Carter (Creek) Meadow in the Deer Creek watershed. The Childs meadow is one of the few remaining strongholds for willow flycatcher and the Cascades frog (''Rana cascadae'') which is now absent from 50% of its former range in California.

Vernal pool Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are seasonal pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. They are considered to be a distinctive type of wetland usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe ...

s are a relatively unique habitat in the lower watershed, reduced to 5% of their original range in California. A large vernal pools complex exists on Nature Conservancy Vina Plains Reserve.

Recreation

Deer Creek is also an excellent fishing location. It is one of a decreasing number of streams in California that still provides habitat for the native trout and migrating salmon.

References

External links

Sierra Meadows Partnership web page at CalTrout

Deer Creek Watershed Conservancy website

Sacramento River Watershed Program: Eastside - Deer Creek

Vina Plains PreserveCalifornia Department of Water ResourcesKlamath Resource Information System
(PDF) {{Central Valley Rivers Rivers of Tehama County, California Tributaries of the Sacramento River Rivers of Northern California