Beaver Creek is a
tributary
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...
of the
Des Moines River that rises at the northern border of
Boone County in the
U.S. state of
Iowa
Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
, and then flows generally south and southeast through western Boone County, northeastern
Dallas County, and finally northwestern
Polk County before flowing into the Des Moines River approximately a mile south of the
Saylorville Reservoir in Polk County. In total, the main channel is approximately in length,
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
, accessed May 26, 2011 and the
watershed drains approximately .
Significant tributaries to Beaver Creek include Middle Beaver Creek, East Beaver Creek, West Beaver Creek, Slough Creek, Beaver Branch, Jim Creek and two Little Beaver creeks. There are also numerous smaller unnamed tributaries.
History
Beaver Creek is an English translation of the Native American name. The
North American beaver was found on the stream until the 1850s. Beaver Creek is the source of the names of two local townships:
Beaver Township, Boone County, Iowa and
Amaqua Township, Boone County, Iowa, "Amaqua" meaning "beaver" in an Indian language.
See also
*
List of rivers of Iowa
References
Rivers of Iowa
Tributaries of the Des Moines River
Geography of Des Moines, Iowa
Rivers of Boone County, Iowa
Rivers of Polk County, Iowa
Rivers of Dallas County, Iowa
Rivers of Webster County, Iowa
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