Granite Creek (Arizona) Explained

Granite Creek
Map Size:300
Pushpin Map:USA Arizona
Pushpin Map Size:300
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of the mouth of Granite Creek
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:United States
Subdivision Type2:State
Subdivision Name2:Arizona
Subdivision Type4:County
Subdivision Name4:Yavapai
Subdivision Type5:City
Subdivision Name5:Prescott
Length:38miles[1]
Discharge1 Location:2miles north of Prescott[2]
Discharge1 Min:0cuft/s
Discharge1 Avg:7cuft/s[3]
Discharge1 Max:6200cuft/s
Source1:Wolverton Mountain
Source1 Location:Bradshaw Mountains, Prescott National Forest
Source1 Coordinates:34.4994°N -112.5094°W
Source1 Elevation:6292feet[4]
Mouth:Verde River
Mouth Coordinates:34.8628°N -112.4319°W[5]
Mouth Elevation:4236feet
Basin Size:359sqmi

Granite Creek is a 38miles tributary of the Verde River in the U.S. state of Arizona.[1] It flows generally north-northeast from the Bradshaw Mountains of west-central Arizona through the city of Prescott and the Granite Dells to meet the river at the north end of the Little Chino Valley east of Sullivan Lake.[6]

Course

Granite Creek begins in the Prescott National Forest as an intermittent stream in the Bradshaw Mountains of west-central Arizona. It flows briefly southeast, then curves generally north, passing under Arizona State Route 89, which then runs along its left. As the creek nears White Spar Campground, Schoolhouse Gulch enters from the right. Below the campground, Granite Creek leaves the national forest, then receives Bannon Creek from the right and Manzanita Creek from the left. As it enters the city of Prescott, Granite Creek passes under Route 89 and receives Aspen Creek from the left.[6]

Miller Creek enters from the left near north side of Prescott, as Granite Creek flows to the northeast, passing through the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Reservation and under Arizona State Route 89 again. Slaughterhouse Gulch enters from the right as the stream continues northeast to Watson Lake. Downstream of the lake, Granite Creek passes through Granite Dells and under Arizona State Route 89A. Willow Creek enters from the left. From here the creek meanders north-northeast through Little Chino Valley past Prescott Municipal Airport, which is on the left. Bottleneck Wash enters from the left, and the creek flows by the town of Chino Valley, also on the left. Granite Creek enters the Verde River between Sullivan Lake and Muldoon Canyon.[6]

Watershed

The Granite Creek watershed is bordered on the west by the Bill Williams watershed on the southwest, the Hassayampa watershed on the south, and the Agua Fria watershed on the southeast. Elevations within the watershed vary from 7979feet on Mount Union[1] to 4236feet at the mouth.[5]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Improvement Plan, p. 6
  2. Web site: Water-Data Report 2011: 09503000 Granite Creek Near Prescott, AZ. PDF. U.S. Geological Survey. March 18, 2013.
  3. Web site: Water-Data Report 2011: 09503000 Granite Creek Near Prescott, AZ. PDF. U.S. Geological Survey. March 18, 2013.
  4. Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.
  5. Web site: Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey . February 8, 1980. [{{Gnis3|29474}} Granite Creek ]. March 17, 2013.
  6. Web site: United States Geological Survey (USGS). United States Geological Survey Topographic Map. TopoQuest. March 17, 2013.