Beaver Creek (Polk County, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beaver Creek |
|
|---|---|
| Country | US |
| State | Iowa |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Boone County, IA, US |
| River mouth | Johnston, Polk County, Iowa, US 41°39′06″N 93°40′06″W / 41.6518°N 93.6683°W |
Beaver Creek is a river in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is a tributary of the Des Moines River. This means it is a smaller stream that flows into a larger river.
Beaver Creek starts in northern Boone County. It then flows south and southeast. It passes through parts of Boone, Dallas, and Polk counties. Finally, it joins the Des Moines River near Johnston.
The main part of Beaver Creek is about 77 miles (124 kilometers) long. The area of land that drains into the creek, called its watershed, is about 380 square miles (980 square kilometers).
Exploring Beaver Creek's Branches
Beaver Creek has several important smaller streams that flow into it. These are also called tributaries.
Some of the main tributaries include:
- Middle Beaver Creek
- East Beaver Creek
- West Beaver Creek
- Slough Creek
- Beaver Branch
- Jim Creek
- Two smaller streams called Little Beaver Creek
There are also many other tiny streams that feed into Beaver Creek.
The History Behind Beaver Creek's Name
The name "Beaver Creek" is an English translation. It comes from the original name given by Native Americans.
North American beavers lived along this stream for a long time. They were found there until the 1850s.
The creek's name also inspired two local areas. These are Beaver Township, Boone County, Iowa and Amaqua Township, Boone County, Iowa. "Amaqua" is a word from a Native American language that also means "beaver."
