Bear Creek is an 11.9 miles (19.2 km) tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Upper Iowa River

Upper Iowa River

The Upper Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwest of the United States.Its headwaters are in southeastern Minnesota, in Mower County near the border with Iowa. It then flows through the Iowa counties of Howard, Winneshiek, and Allamakee, and finally into the Upper...

, joining Waterloo Creek

Waterloo Creek (Upper Iowa River)

Waterloo Creek is a tributary of the Upper Iowa River, with a watershed covering . It rises as Bee Creek in Houston County, Minnesota, southwest of the city of Spring Grove, flowing generally in a southeasterly direction, crossing into Waterloo Township in Allamakee County, Iowa, where it becomes...

 for a short distance before entering the Upper Iowa in Waterloo Township

Waterloo Township, Allamakee County, Iowa

Waterloo Township is one of eighteen townships in Allamakee County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 322.-Geography:Waterloo Township covers an area of and contains no incorporated settlements. It contains the unincorporated community of Dorchester...

 just east of where Iowa Highway 76

Iowa Highway 76

Iowa Highway 76 is a state highway located in northeastern Iowa, most of which is in Allamakee County. The long highway connects McGregor to Eitzen, Minnesota via Waukon. It begins in McGregor at an intersection with U.S. Route 18; the first of the route are signed as U.S. Route 18 Business...

 crosses the river. Its branches are acclaimed trout fishing streams.

The main or South fork rises in Hesper and Highland Townships in Winneshiek County

Winneshiek County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 21,056 in the county, with a population density of . There were 8,721 housing units, of which 7,997 were occupied.-2000 census:...

, and gives its name to South Bear Complex, maintained by the state of Iowa and flows in a rough west to east direction.

The North Bear Creek rises in Houston County, Minnesota

Houston County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 19,718 people, 7,633 households, and 5,411 families residing in the county. The population density was 35 people per square mile . There were 8,168 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...

, south of Spring Grove

Spring Grove, Minnesota

Spring Grove is a city in Houston County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,330 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land...

, entering Iowa into Highland Township in Winneshiek County, and joins the main branch just west of the Allamakee County

Allamakee County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 14,330 in the county, with a population density of . There were 7,617 housing units, of which 5,845 were occupied.-2000 census:...

line in a generally north-to-southeast direction; the state-maintained North Bear Complex is named for it.

The stream continues into Allamakee County, joining Waterloo Creek a short distance from where the two creeks merge with the Upper Iowa. The Upper Iowa itself continues towards its heads in a southwesterly direction.

Sources

• Iowa Department of Natural Resources (retrieved 3 April 2007)
• Map from Iowa DNR (*.pdf) (retrieved 3 April 2007)
• US Fish and Wildlife Service (retrieved 3 April 2007)
• Trout Unlimited press release (retrieved 3 April 2007)