Cripple Creek (Colorado) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cripple Creek |
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|---|---|
| Physical characteristics | |
| River mouth | Confluence with Fourmile Creek 6,845 ft (2,086 m) 38°39′59″N 105°13′43″W / 38.6664°N 105.2286°W |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Fourmile Creek—Arkansas—Mississippi |
Cripple Creek is a small stream located in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is part of a larger river system that eventually flows into the Mississippi River.
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What is Cripple Creek?
Cripple Creek is a natural waterway. It flows through a part of Colorado known for its history. The stream is an important part of the local environment. It helps to drain water from the surrounding land.
Why is it Called Cripple Creek?
The stream got its unique name because of a common problem in the past. Livestock, like cows or horses, often got injured when trying to cross the stream. This happened because the banks or the stream bed might have been difficult to navigate. So, people started calling it "Cripple Creek."
Cripple Creek and the City
The stream flows right through the city of Cripple Creek, Colorado. However, if you visit the city today, you might not see all of the original stream. Over time, parts of the creekbed have been covered up. This happened because of new buildings and parking areas constructed in the city.
The Roosevelt Tunnel and Mining
Cripple Creek also receives water from something called the Roosevelt Tunnel. This tunnel is a special drainage system. It was built to help with gold mining in the area. The tunnel's job was to lower the "water table." The water table is the level underground where the ground is completely filled with water. By lowering it, miners could reach the gold more easily. The Roosevelt Tunnel lowered the water table by 1,500 feet in the Cripple Creek gold mining district.
