Rock Creek (Owens River tributary) explained

Rock Creek
Map Size:250
Pushpin Map:USA California
Pushpin Map Size:250
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of the mouth of Rock Creek in California
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:United States
Subdivision Type2:State
Subdivision Name2:California
Subdivision Type3:Region
Subdivision Name3:Mono County
Subdivision Type4:District
Subdivision Name4:Inyo National Forest
Length:30milesRock Creek plus Lower Rock Creek[1]
Source1:Rock Creek Lake
Source1 Location:John Muir Wilderness, Inyo National Forest
Source1 Coordinates:37.4555°N -118.7357°W
Mouth:Owens River
Mouth Location:Owens River Gorge
Mouth Coordinates:37.561°N -118.6801°W
River System:Long Valley—Crowley Lake Watershed
Tributaries Right:Witcher & Pine Creeks

Rock Creek is a stream that flows from the high Eastern Sierra Nevada to the Owens River in Mono County of eastern California. The upper watershed is in the John Muir Wilderness of the Sierra and Inyo National Forests.

Course

Rock Creek drains from the Sierra Crest near Bear Creek Spire. Additional creek drainage is from the crest's Mount Abbot, Mount Mills, Ruby Peak, and Mount Starr. They combine with flow from Little Lakes Valley to Rock Creek Lake.

From the lake Rock Creek flows northeast to the location known as Tom's Place along U.S. Route 395, less than two miles from the Owens River. The creek, however, turns southeast and flows parallel to the Owens River (and is shown on maps as "Lower Rock Creek"), eventually joining the river near the mouth of the Owens River Gorge.

Upstream from Tom's Place, Rock Creek is long. Lower Rock Creek, below Tom's Place, flows an additional to the Owens River.[1]

See also

Notes and References

  1. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed March 17, 2011