Blue Creek (California)
| Blue Creek | |
|---|---|
Location of Blue Creek in California | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Elk Valley |
| • location | Siskiyou Wilderness, Del Norte County |
| • coordinates | 41°35′33″N 123°42′39″W / 41.59250°N 123.71083°W |
| • elevation | 5,080 ft (1,550 m) |
| Mouth | Klamath River |
• location | About 10 mi (16 km) SE of Klamath, Humboldt County |
• coordinates | 41°25′27″N 123°55′42″W / 41.42417°N 123.92833°W |
• elevation | 69 ft (21 m) |
| Length | 23 mi (37 km) |
| Basin size | 73 sq mi (190 km2) |
Blue Creek is a 23-mile (37 km) long stream in the Northern Coast Ranges of California, and is the lowermost major tributary of the Klamath River. The creek begins in Elk Valley, in the Siskiyou Wilderness of the Six Rivers National Forest in Del Norte County. It flows southwest, receiving several major tributaries including the East Fork, Crescent City Fork, Nickowitz Creek, Slide Creek and the West Fork. It flows into the Klamath River in Humboldt County, 16 miles (26 km) upstream from where the Klamath empties into the Pacific Ocean.
The Blue Creek watershed covers about 47,000 acres (19,000 ha) and is considered one of the most pristine areas in the Klamath River Basin. The area is within the historic territory of the Yurok people. During the 19th and early 20th centuries the Blue Creek valley was subject to intensive logging, but the area has begun to recover with recent conservation efforts by the Yurok Tribe.
The confluence of Blue Creek with the Klamath River is directly downstream from the original planned site of Ah Pah Dam, a massive structure proposed in the 1950s which would have diverted the Klamath River to Southern California. In October 2024, other dams along the Klamath River were removed.