Beaver Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beaver Creek |
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|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Boone County |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Near Blaine, Boone County, Illinois 42°27′04″N 88°48′24″W / 42.45111°N 88.80667°W |
| River mouth | Kishwaukee River Belvidere, Boone County, Illinois 728 ft (222 m) 42°15′20″N 88°55′27″W / 42.25556°N 88.92417°W |
| Length | 27.8 mi (44.7 km) |
Beaver Creek is a cool waterway in northern Illinois. It's about 27.8-mile-long (44.7 km), which is like running a marathon and then some! This creek is a "tributary," meaning it's a smaller stream that flows into a bigger river. Beaver Creek joins the Kishwaukee River.
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Discovering Beaver Creek
Beaver Creek starts near a place called Blaine in Boone County, Illinois. From there, it flows generally from the northeast to the southwest. Think of it like a natural highway for water! Finally, it empties into the Kishwaukee River near Belvidere.
What is a River's Watershed?
Every river and creek has something called a "watershed" or "drainage basin." This is the entire area of land where all the rain and melted snow eventually drain into that specific river or creek. For Beaver Creek, its watershed covers about 70 square miles (180 km2) of land. This means all the water from this big area ends up in Beaver Creek!
Towns Along the Creek
Beaver Creek flows through the middle of Boone County. Two important towns in the Beaver Creek watershed are Poplar Grove and Capron. There's also a community called Candlewick Lake that's part of this watershed. These towns rely on the creek and the land around it.
Meet Meander Creek!
Beaver Creek has at least one smaller stream that flows into it. This smaller stream is called a tributary. It was once known as Mosquito Creek, but now it has a new name: Meander Creek. It's like a little helper stream, bringing even more water to Beaver Creek.
