Kautz Creek
Encyclopedia
Kautz Creek is a tributary
of the Nisqually River
, flowing from the Kautz Glacier
, with its watershed in the Mount Rainier National Park
of Washington. It drains southwest from Mount Rainier
for about 6 miles (9.7 km) before it joins the Nisqually River near Mount Rainier Highway
. It is notable for being a severe flood
ing hazard and that it changes its course often. Also, the 400 feet (121.9 m) Kautz Creek Falls
on the headwaters of the creek was formed by the retreat of the Kautz Glacier in the past 50 years.
s and mudflow
s. On October 2 and 3, 1947, heavy rains triggered a jökalhaup (glacial lake outburst flood
) from the Kautz Glacier- the largest flood after the establishment of the park. 40000000 cubic metre of earth were moved, along with boulders nearly 13 feet (4 m) in diameter. This flow buried the Nisqually-Longmire Road with 9 metres (29.5 ft) of debris, and carved a canyon 300 feet (91.4 m) deep. This flow, often compared to a lahar
, moved for nearly 6 miles (9.7 km). Other large debris flows have occurred in the Kautz Creek watershed in 1961, 1985, and 1986, with small debris flows occurring more frequently. The creek also jumped its banks in November 2006, destroying parts of the Kautz Creek Trail.
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 Nisqually River
Nisqually River
The Nisqually River is a river in west central Washington in the United States, approximately long. It drains part of the Cascade Range southwest of Tacoma, including the southern slope of Mount Rainier, and empties into the southern end of Puget Sound....
, flowing from the Kautz Glacier
Kautz Glacier
The Kautz Glacier is a narrow glacier on the southern flank of Mount Rainier in Washington. Named for August Kautz, who is sometimes credited for the first ascent of Mount Rainier, covers and contains 7.8 billion ft3 of ice. Upper Kautz Glacier extends south from the summit ice cap to Kautz Ice...
, with its watershed in the Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park is a United States National Park located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington state. It was one of the US's earliest National Parks, having been established on March 2, 1899 as the fifth national park in the United States. The park contains...
of Washington. It drains southwest from Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
for about 6 miles (9.7 km) before it joins the Nisqually River near Mount Rainier Highway
Washington State Route 706
State Route 706 is a state highway in Pierce County, in the U.S. state of Washington. It extends from SR 7 in the census-designated place of Elbe east to the Longmire gate of Mount Rainier National Park.The highway formerly was part of the Tacoma – Mount Rainier branch of Primary...
. It is notable for being a severe flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ing hazard and that it changes its course often. Also, the 400 feet (121.9 m) Kautz Creek Falls
Kautz Creek Falls
Kautz Creek Falls is a waterfall on Kautz Creek in the Mount Rainier National Park in the state of Washington. It was formed when the Kautz Glacier retreated in the last 50 years, creating a series of long and slender cascades totaling about in height down a tall glacial cliff, with a highest drop...
on the headwaters of the creek was formed by the retreat of the Kautz Glacier in the past 50 years.
Hydrology
The channel of Kautz Creek is very steep and narrow, because it has eroded through the relatively soft material that the lahars and mudflows have deposited. The creek flows in a trench that is 100 to 200 ft (30.5 to 61 m) wide and up to 75 feet (22.9 m) deep, though this course is likely to change with floods.Lahars
The creek is notorious for its history of severe floodFlood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s and mudflow
Mudflow
A mudslide is the most rapid and fluid type of downhill mass wasting. It is a rapid movement of a large mass of mud formed from loose soil and water. Similar terms are mudflow, mud stream, debris flow A mudslide is the most rapid (up to 80 km/h, or 50 mph) and fluid type of downhill mass...
s. On October 2 and 3, 1947, heavy rains triggered a jökalhaup (glacial lake outburst flood
Glacial lake outburst flood
A glacial lake outburst flood is a type of outburst flood that occurs when the dam containing a glacial lake fails. The dam can consist of glacier ice or a terminal moraine...
) from the Kautz Glacier- the largest flood after the establishment of the park. 40000000 cubic metre of earth were moved, along with boulders nearly 13 feet (4 m) in diameter. This flow buried the Nisqually-Longmire Road with 9 metres (29.5 ft) of debris, and carved a canyon 300 feet (91.4 m) deep. This flow, often compared to a lahar
Lahar
A lahar is a type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of pyroclastic material, rocky debris, and water. The material flows down from a volcano, typically along a river valley. The term is a shortened version of "berlahar" which originated in the Javanese language of...
, moved for nearly 6 miles (9.7 km). Other large debris flows have occurred in the Kautz Creek watershed in 1961, 1985, and 1986, with small debris flows occurring more frequently. The creek also jumped its banks in November 2006, destroying parts of the Kautz Creek Trail.