Willow Creek (Snake River tributary)

Willow Creek
Willow Creek, Bonneville County, Idaho, USA
Willow Creek (Snake River tributary) is located in Idaho
Willow Creek (Snake River tributary)
Location of the mouth of Willow Creek in Idaho
Location
CountryUnited States
StateIdaho
CountiesBonneville County, Idaho, Bingham County, Idaho
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationeast of the Blackfoot Mountains, Bingham County, Idaho
 • coordinates43°05′40″N 111°42′52″W / 43.09444°N 111.71444°W / 43.09444; -111.71444[1]
 • elevation6,568 ft (2,002 m)[2]
MouthSnake River
 • location
north of Idaho Falls, Bonneville County, Idaho
 • coordinates
43°33′10″N 111°59′17″W / 43.55278°N 111.98806°W / 43.55278; -111.98806[1]
 • elevation
4,777 ft (1,456 m)[1]
Length84 mi (135 km)[3]

Willow Creek is a 84-mile (135 km) long[3] tributary of the Snake River in the U.S. state of Idaho. Beginning at an elevation of 6,568 feet (2,002 m)[2] east of the Blackfoot Mountains in southeastern Bingham County, it flows generally north into Bonneville County and past Bone. South of the town of Ririe, the creek is impounded by Ririe Dam, forming Ririe Reservoir. It then turns southwest, passing between Iona and Ucon, before bifurcating into two distributaries, North Fork Willow Creek and South Fork Willow Creek,[4] at an elevation of 4,777 feet (1,456 m).[1] Both forks reach the Snake River north of Idaho Falls.[4]

Willow Creek has significant populations of brown trout.[5]

  1. ^ a b c d "Willow Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. June 21, 1979. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.
  3. ^ a b "National Hydrography Dataset". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved July 23, 2013. Note: approximation; course is largely obliterated by agriculture past Ririe.
  4. ^ a b Idaho Road and Recreation Atlas (Map) (2nd ed.). 1:250,000. Benchmark Maps. 2010. pp. 68, 78. ISBN 978-0-929591-06-3. OCLC 567571371.
  5. ^ Geological Survey (U.S.) Lead Bureau; United States Bureau of Land Management; United States Forest Service (1975). Development of phosphate resources in southeastern Idaho. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Geological Survey. p. 1. Retrieved February 7, 2013.