Rivers of Lake County, California

Rivers and creeks in Lake County, California are listed below by river basin and alphabetically. Unless otherwise stated, the information is taken from the Geographic Names Information System maintained by the United States Geological Survey. Coordinates, elevations and lengths from this source are approximate.

General

Lake County covers about in the California Coastal Range. The rugged topography includes hills, mountains and valleys. The largest waterbody is Clear Lake, at an elevation of about above sea level. The three main drainages are Eel River, Cache Creek and Putah Creek, each of which have their headwaters in the county. Eel River drains the north of the county and flows west into Mendocino County. The center of the county drains into Clear Lake, which drains into Cache Creek, which flows east into Yolo County. The south of the county drains into Putah Creek, which flows south into Napa County. Eel River empties into the Pacific, while Cache Creek and Putah Creek flow into the Sacramento River valley.

Lake County has warm, dry summers, and cool, moist winters. In the summer, a continual tropical air mass typically creates high daytime temperatures and cool evening temperatures. In winter, a marine air mass typically keeps temperatures above . Average monthly temperatures range from about 43°F during December through January to about 73°F during July through August. There are greater levels of precipitation at higher elevations and in the north and southwest of the county. Almost 90% of precipitation falls in winter, and there is very little rain from May to September.

Geological changes

Clear Lake formed about 600,000 years ago as the land in the region began to subside when the Clear Lake Volcanic Field erupted. Its basin continues to move downward, while sedimentation keeps it shallow. The Clear Lake basin lies between the watersheds of the Sacramento River and the Russian River. When it was formed it drained east into the Sacramento Valley.

About 200,000 years ago the Clear Lake Volcanic Field blocked the lake's outlet. The lake rose until it found a new outlet, draining west through the Blue Lakes into Cold Creek and the Russian River. Clear Lake was almost higher than it is today, and Scotts Creek flowed into the lake from the west near where Lakeport is today. It formed a large delta there, which deposited the Lakeport ridge.

At some time in the last 10,000 years a landslide at the west end of the Blue Lakes blocked Clear Lake's outlet to the Russian River watershed. The lake rose again, and created its present outlet via Cache Creek to the Sacramento River. Cache Creek began eroding upstream to Clear Lake, and when it reached the lake the outflow along Cache Creek quickly eroded a channel through soft sediments. The lake dropped almost as a result.

Basins Eel River

Eel River flows through the northern part of the County and drains through Lake Pillsbury into Mendocino County. The Eel River’s drainage includes Corbin Creek, Anderson Creek, Cold Creek and Bear Creek. The drainage includes the highest point in Lake County, Snow Mountain. The Pacific Gas and Electric Company created Lake Pillsbury on the Eel River as part of its Potter Valley Project, which diverts water downstream on the Eel River to generate power, and releases the water into the East Fork Russian River. Diverted flows supplement Russian River water supplies in Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. Lake Pillsbury captures about one percent of the Eel River flow.

Stream GNIS id Parent Mouth Length Coords Elev ft Elev m mi kmall values are approximate Eel River Pacific Ocean ←←Middle Creek (Black Butte River) Black Butte River ←Elk Creek Middle Fork Eel River ←←Lookout Creek Elk Creek ←←Sulphur Springs Creek Elk Creek ←←Crocker Creek Elk Creek ←←Forks Creek Elk Creek ←←Bear Creek (Elk Creek) Elk Creek ←←Little Thatcher Creek Elk Creek ←←Sanhedrin Creek Elk Creek ←←←Bennett Creek Sanhedrin Creek Trout Creek (Eel River) Eel River Horse Creek Eel River Corbin Creek Eel River ←Dutch Oven Creek E Corbin Creek ←Five Spring Creek Corbin Creek ←Wescott Creek Corbin Creek ←Dutch Oven Creek W Corbin Creek Anderson Creek (Eel River) Eel River Rattlesnake Creek (Eel River) Eel River ←Little Round Mountain Creek Rattlesnake Creek (Eel River) Cold Creek (Eel River) Eel River Skeleton Creek Eel River Copper Butte Creek Eel River Berry Creek Eel River Grapevine Creek (Eel River) Eel River Hummingbird Creek Eel River Rice Fork Eel River (Lake Pillsbury) ←Salt Creek Rice Fork ←French Creek Rice Fork ←←Rock Creek French Creek ←Little Soda Creek Rice Fork ←Parramore Creek Rice Fork ←Bear Creek (Rice Fork) Rice Fork ←←Blue Slides Creek Bear Creek (Rice Fork) ←Bevans Creek Rice Fork ←Salt Glade Creek Rice Fork ←Rice Creek Rice Fork ←←Barker Creek Rice Creek ←←Dry Creek (Rice Creek) Rice Creek ←←McLeod Creek Rice Creek ←Packsaddle Creek Rice Fork ←Deer Creek Rice Fork ←Willow Creek (Rice Fork) Rice Fork Smokehouse Creek Eel River (Lake Pillsbury) ←Boardman Creek Smokehouse Creek Salmon Creek Eel River (Lake Pillsbury) ←Fuller Creek Salmon Creek ←Mill Creek (Salmon Creek) Salmon Creek Squaw Valley Creek Eel River (Lake Pillsbury) Salt Spring Creek Eel River (Lake Pillsbury) Thistle Glade Creek Eel River Soda Creek (Eel River) Eel River ←Welch Creek Soda Creek (Eel River) ←Panther Creek (Soda Creek) Soda Creek (Eel River) ←←Cedar Creek Panther Creek (Soda Creek) Benmore Creek (Eel River) Eel River Dashiell Creek Eel River Bucknell Creek Eel River Alder Creek (Eel River) Eel River Mill Creek (Eel River) Eel River

Clear Lake

Clear Lake is the largest freshwater lake wholly within the state of California. The lake has an average depth of about . Many important tributary streams drain into Clear Lake, including Kelsey Creek, Adobe Creek, Scotts Creek and Middle Creek. The streams flow over permeable geologic formations and percolate into the subsurface as groundwater recharge.

Stream GNIS id Parent Mouth Length Coords Elev ft Elev m mi kmall values are approximate Thurston Creek Clear Lake (Thurston Lake) Manning Creek Clear Lake ←Thompson Creek (Manning Creek) Manning Creek Forbes Creek Clear Lake Molesworth Creek Clear Lake Schindler Creek Clear Lake Kelsey Creek Clear Lake ←Jones Creek Kelsey Creek ←Houghton Creek Kelsey Creek ←Rush Creek Kelsey Creek ←Alder Creek (Kelsey Creek) Kelsey Creek ←←Lee Creek Alder Creek (Kelsey Creek) ←Sulphur Creek Kelsey Creek ←High Valley Creek Kelsey Creek ←Sweetwater Creek Kelsey Creek ←Widow Creek Kelsey Creek ←Cole Creek Kelsey Creek ←←McIntire Creek Cole Creek Rumsey Slough Clear Lake ←Thompson Creek (Rumsey Slough) Rumsey Slough Adobe Creek Clear Lake ←Highland Creek Adobe Creek Lyons Creek Clear Lake McGaugh Slough Clear Lake ←Hill Creek McGaugh Creek Morrison Creek Clear Lake Old Kelsey Creek Clear Lake Rodman Slough Clear Lake ←Scotts Creek Rodman Slough ←←Black Oak Springs Creek Scotts Creek ←←Lyons Valley Creek Scotts Creek ←←Willow Creek (Scotts Creek) Scotts Creek ←←←Panther Creek (Willow Creek) Willow Creek (Scotts Creek) ←←South Fork Scotts Creek Scotts Creek ←←←Benmore Creek (South Fork Scotts Creek) South Fork Scotts Creek ←←Pool Creek Scotts Creek ←←Hendricks Creek Scotts Creek ←←Dorr Creek Scotts Creek ←←Cooper Creek Scotts Creek (Tule Lake) ←←←Dayle Creek Cooper Creek ←Robinson Creek Rodman Slough ←Middle Creek (Rodman Slough) Rodman Slough ←←Basin Creek Middle Creek (Rodman Slough) ←←West Fork Middle Creek Middle Creek (Rodman Slough) ←←←Bear Creek (West Fork Middle Creek) West Fork Middle Creek ←←East Fork Middle Creek Middle Creek (Rodman Slough) ←←Chair Creek Middle Creek (Rodman Slough) ←←Salt Flat Creek Middle Creek (Rodman Slough) ←←Kirkpatrick Creek Middle Creek (Rodman Slough) ←←Clover Creek Middle Creek (Rodman Slough) ←←←Gilbert Creek Clover Creek ←←←Alley Creek Clover Creek ←←←←Poge Creek Alley Creek

Cache Creek

Cache Creek drains Clear Lake and flows eastward into Yolo County, then into the Sacramento River. Cache Creek has two major reaches in Lake County: the north fork and the main branch. The north fork drains an area north of the Clear Lake watershed through Indian Valley Reservoir, and includes Long Valley Creek, Wolf Creek, and Bartlett Creek. The main branch drains Clear Lake and flows eastward into Yolo County. Kelsey Creek, Adobe Creek, Scott’s Creek, and Middle Creek drain through Clear Lake to the main stem of Cache Creek.

Clear Lake and the Indian Valley Reservoir heavily influence the flow characteristics of Cache Creek. Unmanaged flows above the Indian Valley Reservoir on Cache Creek show a strong response to rainfall and low base flows. In contrast, managed flows on Cache Creek below the Indian Valley Reservoir and Clear Lake show a reduced influence of precipitation and increased base flows.

Stream GNIS id Parent Mouth Length Coords Elev ft Elev m mi kmall values are approximate Cache Creek Sacramento River Clear Lake Cache Creek Hospital Creek Cache Creek Copsey Creek Cache Creek ←Sweet Springs Creek Copsey Creek ←Harris Creek Copsey Creek ←Clayton Creek Copsey Creek Herndon Creek Cache Creek Seigler Canyon Creek Cache Creek ←Perini Creek Seigler Canyon Creek Dry Creek (Cache Creek) Cache Creek Davis Creek Cache Creek North Fork Cache Creek Cache Creek ←Rattlesnake Creek (North Fork Cache Creek) North Fork Cache Creek ←Alder Creek (North Fork Cache Creek) North Fork Cache Creek ←Wild Bill Creek North Fork Cache Creek ←Wyman Creek North Fork Cache Creek ←←Root Creek Wyman Creek ←Twin Valley Creek North Fork Cache Creek ←Soap Creek North Fork Cache Creek ←Ladybug Creek North Fork Cache Creek ←Kilpepper Creek North Fork Cache Creek (Indian Valley Reservoir) ←Grapevine Creek (North Fork Cache Creek) North Fork Cache Creek ←Bartlett Creek North Fork Cache Creek ←←North Fork Bartlett Creek Bartlett Creek ←←South Fork Bartlett Creek Bartlett Creek ←Spanish Creek North Fork Cache Creek ←←East Fork Spanish Creek Spanish Creek ←←West Fork Spanish Creek Spanish Creek ←Stanton Creek North Fork Cache Creek ←Long Valley Creek North Fork Cache Creek ←←South Fork Valley Creek Long Valley Creek ←Wolf Creek North Fork Cache Creek ←←North Fork Wolf Creek Wolf Creek ←←South Fork Wolf Creek Wolf Creek ←Hog Hollow Creek North Fork Cache Creek ←Sweet Hollow Creek North Fork Cache Creek ←Phipps Creek North Fork Cache Creek ←Indian Creek North Fork Cache Creek ←Grizzly Creek (North Fork Cache Creek) North Fork Cache Creek ←Middle Creek (North Fork Cache Creek) North Fork Cache Creek ←Perkins Creek North Fork Cache Creek Trout Creek (Cache Creek) Cache Creek Rocky Creek Cache Creek ←Chandans Creek Rocky Creek Brushy Creek Cache Creek

Putah Creek

Putah Creek drains the southwestern portion of Lake County, draining into Lake Berryessa in Napa County. Putah Creek’s drainage includes Harbin Creek, Big Canyon Creek, St. Helena Creek and Soda Creek. The drainage also includes Collayomi Valley, Long Valley and the Coyote Valley. The Putah Creek drainage mostly consists of direct rainfall runoff with a very little snowmelt and base flow. The Putah Creek basin in Lake County has no reservoirs to provide surface storage and regulate flows.