Chinle Creek is a

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or 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 drain the surrounding drainag ...

stream of the San Juan River in

Apache County, Arizona Apache County is in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. Shaped in a long rectangle running north to south, as of the 2020 census, its population was 66,021. The county seat is St. Johns. Most of the county is occupied by part ...

and

San Juan County, Utah San Juan County ( ) is a county in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 14,746. Its county seat is Monticello, while its most populous city is Blanding. The Utah State Le ...

. Its source is at , the confluence of Laguña Creek and the Chinle Wash

arroyo Arroyo often refers to: * Arroyo (creek), an intermittently dry creek Arroyo may also refer to: People * Arroyo (surname) Places United States ;California * Arroyo Burro Beach, a public beach park in Santa Barbara County, California * Arroyo ...

. Its name is derived from the

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest fe ...

word ''ch'inili'' meaning 'where the waters came out. Its sources is in

Canyon de Chelly National Monument Canyon de Chelly National Monument ( ) was established on April 1, 1931, as a unit of the National Park Service. Located in northeastern Arizona, it is within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation and lies in the Four Corners region. Reflecting on ...

where

Canyon de Chelly Canyon de Chelly National Monument ( ) was established on April 1, 1931, as a unit of the National Park Service. Located in northeastern Arizona, it is within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation and lies in the Four Corners region. Reflecting ...

and Canyon del Muerto have their confluence at an elevation of 5,616 feet at . It then trends northwest to its confluence with Laguña Creek where it forms Chinle Creek, 7 miles northeast of

Dennehotso, Arizona Dennehotso ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. The population was 746 at the 2010 census. Geography Dennehotso is located at (36.837286, -109.860884). According to the United States Census Bur ...

at an elevation of 4,774 feet / 1,455 meters. Chinle Wash

Its mouth is at its

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river ( main stem); ...

with the San Juan River at at an elevation of , 9 miles northeast of

Mexican Hat, Utah Mexican Hat is a census-designated place (CDP) in Utah in the United States. It is on the San Juan River on the northern edge of the Navajo Nation's borders in south-central San Juan County. The population was 31 in the 2010 census, a sharp de ...

References

External links

{{authority control Tributaries of the Colorado River in Arizona Tributaries of the Colorado River in Utah Colorado Plateau Rivers of Apache County, Arizona Rivers of San Juan County, Utah Geography of the Navajo Nation Rivers of Arizona Rivers of Utah Washes of Arizona

See also

References

External links