| Adobe Creek[1] | |
| Pushpin Map: | USA Colorado |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the mouth of Adobe Creek in Colorado |
| Source1 Location: | south of Karval, Colorado |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 38.7211°N -103.5347°W |
| Mouth Location: | Confluence with the Arkansas |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 38.0811°N -103.2919°W |
| Progression: | Arkansas—Mississippi |
| Mouth Elevation: | 3927feet |
| Tributaries Left: | East Fork Adobe Creek |
| Tributaries Right: | Scott Draw Johns Creek |
Adobe Creek is a tributary of the Arkansas River in southeastern Colorado, U.S.
The creek rises in Lincoln County south of Karval and flows in a generally north-to-south direction. From there it receives its tributary Scott Draw.[2] Entering Kiowa County, it receives its tributaries East Fork Adobe Creek[3] and Johns Creek.[4] Throughout its course, it also receives a few unnamed tributaries, chiefly intermittent streams. After the creek passes by Arlington and under State Highway 96, it passes by the Adobe Creek Inlet Canal.[5] This canal draws water from the creek to supply the Adobe Creek Reservoir (also called Blue Lake),[6] which is named for the creek. The reservoir is an off-stream storage impoundment used for agricultural irrigation and recreation. The reservoir has an outlet canal, called the Adobe Creek Reservoir Outlet Ditch,[7] used when the reservoir overflows, that connects back to and empties into Adobe Creek. Next, the reservoir is dammed twice at the Las Animas Fish Hatchery, and its water is used to supply the hatchery with water.[8] Next, the creek is impounded by a small dam that creates Dawn Reservoir.[9] Finally, at its mouth, the creek empties into the Arkansas River in Bent County.
The U.S. Geological Survey maintains a stream gauge along the creek at Highway 194 in Bent County.