| Quartzville Creek | |
| Name Etymology: | former gold-mining town in the creek's watershed[1] |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map: | USA Oregon |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the mouth of Quartzville Creek in Oregon |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Oregon |
| Subdivision Type4: | County |
| Subdivision Name4: | Linn |
| Length: | 28miles[2] |
| Discharge1 Location: | 10miles north of Cascadia at river mile 6.6 |
| Discharge1 Min: | 14cuft/s |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 652cuft/s |
| Discharge1 Max: | 23700cuft/s |
| Source1 Location: | Willamette National Forest, Cascade Range |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 44.5722°N -122.1272°W[3] |
| Source1 Elevation: | 4094feet[4] |
| Mouth: | Middle Santiam River |
| Mouth Location: | Green Peter Reservoir |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 44.4761°N -122.5011°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 1014feet |
| Basin Size: | 171sqmi |
Quartzville Creek is a 28miles tributary of the Middle Santiam River in Linn County in the U.S. state of Oregon.[2] It is paralleled by the Quartzville Back Country Byway and used for recreation, including camping, fishing, hunting, kayaking, and gold panning.[5] The lower 12miles of the creek, from the Willamette National Forest boundary to Green Peter Reservoir, was designated Wild and Scenic in 1988.[6]
The creek, beginning at an elevation of about 4100feet between Pinnacle and Gordon peaks in the Cascade Range, flows generally west and southwest through Willamette National Forest. In its upper reaches, it receives Butte and Bruler creeks from the right, Freezeout Creek from the left, Beabe Creek from the left, Little Meadows Creek from the right, Gregg and McQuade creeks from the left, then Gold Creek from the right. In the next stretch, Green, Savage, and Galena creeks enter from the left. Below Galena Creek, Quartzville Creek leaves the national forest and Canal Creek enters from the right. One of Canal Creek's tributaries, Dry Gulch, drains the former Quartzville townsite for which Quartzville Creek is named.[7]
Downstream of Canal Creek, the creek is followed on the right by Quartzville Road. Along this stretch, Yellowbottom Creek enters from the right at Yellowbottom Campground. Shortly thereafter, the creek turns sharply south and receives Packers Gulch from the right. Further downstream, Boulder Creek enters from the left, then Yellowstone and Four Bit creeks, both from the right. Thereafter, Quartzville Creek reaches the Dogwood Picnic Area, on the right, and Cascade Falls, on a minor tributary to the left. The creek then flows by a stream gauge maintained by the United States Geological Survey 6.6miles from the mouth. Here Panther Creek enters from the right.[7]
Continuing generally southwest, the creek receives Trout Creek and Moose Creek from the right as it enters a northern arm of Green Peter Reservoir. Foots Canyon, which drains part of Green Peter Peninsula, enters from the left before the creek reaches Whitcomb Creek Park, on the right. About 1miles beyond the park, the creek merges with the Middle Santiam River, 9miles from its confluence with the South Santiam River at Foster Reservoir.[7]
The United States Geological Survey operates a stream gauge 6.6miles upstream from the mouth. The average flow at this station between 1966 and 2011 was 652cuft/s. The maximum flow was 23700cuft/s on February 7, 1996, and the minimum flow was 14cuft/s on August 19 - 23, 1973. The drainage area above this gauge is 99.2sqmi, about 58 percent of the whole watershed.[8]
A maximum flow larger than the recorded maximum has been estimated at 36500cuft/s on December 22, 1964.[8] This flow occurred during the floods of December 1964 and January 1965, rated by the National Weather Service as one of Oregon's top 10 weather events of the 20th century.[9]