Clear Creek (California)
Encyclopedia
Clear Creek is a tributary
of the Sacramento River
. It is 60.6 miles (97.5 km) long and is the first major tributary downstream of the Shasta Dam
. The creek originates between Shasta Lake
and Trinity Lake
and drains into Whiskeytown Lake
, which is formed by Whiskeytown Dam. Past the lake, the creek continues south until it joins with the Sacramento River. The Spring Creek Tunnel bypasses that leg and connects Whiskeytown Lake directly to Keswick Reservoir.
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 Sacramento River
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
. It is 60.6 miles (97.5 km) long and is the first major tributary downstream of the Shasta Dam
Shasta Dam
Shasta Dam is an arch dam across the Sacramento River in the northern part of the U.S. state of California, at the north end of the Sacramento Valley. The dam mainly serves long-term water storage and flood control in its reservoir, Shasta Lake, and also generates hydroelectric power...
. The creek originates between Shasta Lake
Shasta Lake
Shasta Lake, also called Lake Shasta, is an artificial lake created by the construction of Shasta Dam across the Sacramento River in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest of Shasta County, California...
and Trinity Lake
Trinity Lake
Trinity Lake, previously called Clair Engle Lake, is a lake on the Trinity River formed by the Trinity Dam and located in Trinity County, California, The dam was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The lake has a capacity of , making it one of the largest reservoirs in California. The lake's...
and drains into Whiskeytown Lake
Whiskeytown Lake
Whiskeytown Lake is a lake in Shasta County in northwestern California, about west of Redding. The lake is in the Whiskeytown Unit of the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area. It has a capacity of and is formed by Whiskeytown Dam on Clear Creek...
, which is formed by Whiskeytown Dam. Past the lake, the creek continues south until it joins with the Sacramento River. The Spring Creek Tunnel bypasses that leg and connects Whiskeytown Lake directly to Keswick Reservoir.