Icicle Creek
| Icicle Creek | ||
 Rapids on Icicle Creek |
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| Data | ||
| location | Chelan County , Washington , USA | |
| River system | Columbia River | |
| Drain over | Wenatchee River → Columbia River → Pacific | |
| source |
Cascade chain 47 ° 43 ′ 7 ″ N , 121 ° 3 ′ 3 ″ W. |
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| Source height | 1427 m | |
| muzzle | Wenatchee River Coordinates: 47 ° 34 ′ 48 " N , 120 ° 39 ′ 57" W 47 ° 34 ′ 48 " N , 120 ° 39 ′ 57" W.
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| length | 51.2 km | |
| Catchment area | 550.9 km² | |
The Icicle Creek is a stream in Chelan County in the State of Washington . It rises on Josephine Lake near the main ridge of the Cascade Range and flows generally eastward to its confluence with the Wenatchee River near Leavenworth . The catchment area of the Icicle Creek is mountainous and mostly uncultivated land in the Wenatchee National Forest and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness . The final six miles of the run are moderately cultivated with scattered settlements and pastures, a golf course, kids' camp, a small gated community called the Icicle Island Club, and the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery. At river kilometer 9.01, some water is diverted from the creek for use in Leavenworth town. Near Leavenworth, the accessible Icicle Creek Nature Trail , a National Recreation Trail designated as such in 2005, follows a historic river for about 1.6 km.
The name of the Icicle Creek comes from the Indian word na-sik-elt , which means "narrow canyon". According to Albert H. Sylvester , topographer and longtime explorer of the Forest Service, one should replace "the letter n at the beginning and the letter t at the end of the word" "and you practically get the Indian word."
course
Icicle Creek begins as a drain of Josephine Lake less than a mile from the summit of the Cascade Range and the sources of Tunnel Creek, a tributary of the westward flowing Skykomish River . The Stevens Pass is located a few miles north of the lake. The Pacific Crest Trail runs on the west side of the lake. Josephine Lake is at an altitude of 1,427 meters. Icicle Creek flows south through a deep and narrow valley. After a few miles it turns to the southeast and its valley takes on a classic glacier-shaped U-shape. Near the river mile 35.4, Icicle Creek begins to turn more south, shortly after Spanish Camp Creek flows into it from the northeast. The Spanish Camp Creek and its headwaters drain the high alpine west side of the Icicle Ridge from Grindstone Mountain to Cape Horn and Ladies Pass.
Shortly below the mouth of the Spanish Camp Creek, the French Creek flows from the west. French Creek is one of the major tributaries of Icicle Creek. It flows for miles through a trough valley . Its many tributaries drain a number of peaks and mountain ranges along the main ridge of the Wenatchee Mountains , which include Granite Mountain, The Cradle, and Highchair Mountain. Near the end of the French Creek Valley is the Paddy-Go-Easy Pass, which leads over to the Cle Elum River Valley. Below the mouth of the French Creek, the Icicle Creek leaves the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, and shortly thereafter the Black Pine Creek flows from the south at river kilometer 32. The Black Pine Campground is near the mouth. Boggy Creek flows in near the Rock Island Campground. About a mile (1.6 km) below it flows from the south into Jack Creek, another major tributary. Like French Creek, Jack Creek also flows through a long, deep trough valley and drains part of the main ridge of the Wenatchee Mountains. Jack Creek has its source in several source streams that drain the high alpine region near the Stuart Pass, Ingalls Peak and Mount Stuart .
Below the mouth of Jack Creek, Icicle Creek flows into Chatter Creek from the north. Chatter Creek Campground is north of Icicle Creek near the mouth of Chatter Creek. Several tributaries flow below Chatter Creek such as Hoxsey Creek, Bob Creek, Doctor Creek, Ida Creek, Big Slide Creek, Jay Creek, Johnny Creek, and Victoria Creek. Campgrounds of the same name are located at the mouths of Ida Creek and Johnny Creek. A number of smaller streams flow below Victoria Creek, such as the Fourth of July Creek. Bridge Creek flows in from the north at Bridge Creek Campground.
At the river kilometer 12.87, Icicle Creek is reinforced by Eightmile Creek, a major tributary. The Eightmile Creek and its tributaries Mountaineer Creek and Pioneer Creek drain a large area in the southwest, which reaches the summits of the Wenatchee Mountains. There are a number of lakes in the Eightmile Creek Basin, which include Eightmile Lake, Lake Caroline, Colchuck Lake, Lake Stuart, Jack Lake, and Horseshoe Lake. The main drained mountains are Mount Stuart, Sherpa Peak, Argonaut Peak , Colchuck Peak, and Dragontail Peak . These peaks are among the tallest in the Wenatchee Mountains. Mount Stuart is the tallest non-volcanic mountain in Washington. These high mountains are known as the Stuart Range . The chain contains a number of glaciers, notably the Colchuck Glacier, the Sherpa Glacier and the Stuart Glacier. The Eightmile Campground is located on Icicle Creek, a little below the mouth of Eightmile Creek.
Below the mouth of Eightmile Creek, Icicle Creek flows into Rat Creek from the south, which comes from the northern slopes of Cannon Mountain, Enchantment Peaks, Prusik Peak and The Temple. There are several mountain lakes in this region. Just above river kilometer 8.04, Icicle Creek flows into Snow Creek from the south, a notable tributary. The Snow Creek comes from the heart of The Enchantments region with high alpine lakes between the Enchantment Peaks and the Stuart Range.
Below the confluence of Snow Creek in Icicle Creek, this leaves the Wenatchee National Forest and reaches a semi-developed area near Leavenworth. Its valley widens and the stream meanders in wide loops. It passes Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery and a number of individual farms before flowing into the Wenatchee River about a mile south of Leavenworth.
nature
According to monitoring data collected in 1993, the Washington State Department of Ecology determined the water quality of Icicle Creek to be good and "met or exceeded expectations and with virtually no concern."
Tributaries
The following list is ordered from the mouth upstream and is not exhaustive:
- Snow Creek
- Toketie Creek
- Rat Creek
- Lion Creek
- Eightmile Creek
- Mountaineer Creek
- Pioneer Creek
- Bridge Creek
- Fourth of July Creek
- Mac Creek
- Victoria Creek
- Johnny Creek
- Jay Creek
- Big Slide Creek
- Ida Creek
- Doctor Creek
- Bob Creek
- Hoxsey Creek
- Chatter Creek
- Trout Creek
- Jack Creek
- Meadow Creek
- Van Epps Creek
- Boggy Creek
- Grindstone Creek
- Black Pine Creek
- French Creek
- Snowall Creek
- Spanish Camp Creek
- Frosty Creek
- Doughgod Creek
- Cuitin Creek
- Leland Creek
- Prospect Creek
- Chain Creek
- Trapper Creek
- Basin Creek
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Topographic maps of the USGS accessed via the tool “GNIS in Google Map” on the USGS GNIS website.
- ^ A b Icicle Creek Water Quality Survey Results . Washington State Department of Ecology. Archived from the original on November 1st, 2012. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ^ Wenatchee River Watershed Initial Assessment . Washington State Department of Ecology. Archived from the original on November 1st, 2012. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ^ Icicle Creek Nature Trail . American trails. January 6, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
- ↑ Doug Brokenshire: Washington State Place Names: From Alki to Yelm . Caxton Press, 1993, ISBN 978-0-87004-356-7 , p. 113.
- ^ River & Stream Water Quality Monitoring - Station 45B070, Icicle Creek near Leavenworth . Washington State Department of Ecology. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
Web links
- Icicle Creek in the United States Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System - source and mouth coordinates