Garoutte Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Garoutte Creek |
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 Location of the mouth of Garoutte Creek in Oregon
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Lane |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Calapooya Mountains near the border with Douglas County 1,743 ft (531 m) 43°32′47″N 123°06′20″W / 43.54639°N 123.10556°W |
| River mouth | Little River near Black Butte 1,138 ft (347 m) 43°34′03″N 123°04′34″W / 43.56750°N 123.07611°W |
Garoutte Creek is a small stream in the state of Oregon, United States. It flows into the Little River. The creek starts in the Calapooya Mountains. It flows through Lane and Douglas counties.
Garoutte Creek is known for its connection to an old mine. This mine was located near a dark-colored mountain called Black Butte.
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About Garoutte Creek
Garoutte Creek is a tributary. This means it is a smaller stream that flows into a larger one. It joins the Little River near Black Butte. The Little River then flows into the Coast Fork Willamette River.
How the Name Changed
On older maps, the Little River was sometimes shown as a part of Garoutte Creek. It was also sometimes called Saroutte Creek.
However, in 1988, the United States Board on Geographic Names made a change. They decided that the lower part of Garoutte Creek would become part of the Little River. This made the upper part of Garoutte Creek a tributary to the Little River.
Carlson Creek
Garoutte Creek has one named tributary. It is called Carlson Creek. Carlson Creek flows into Garoutte Creek from its left side.
The Old Black Butte Post Office
In the 1890s, a man named S. P. Garoutte found a mineral called cinnabar on Black Butte. Cinnabar is used to get mercury. This discovery led to the opening of the Black Butte Mine.
Because of the mine, a post office was set up nearby. It opened in 1898. The first postmaster was William Harris, so the post office was first called Harris. In 1901, its name changed to Blackbutte. The post office stayed open until 1957.
Environmental Concerns
The area around the old Black Butte Mine has become a special cleanup site. It is now a Superfund site. This means the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working to clean it up.
The EPA is worried about pollution in the streams. This includes Garoutte Creek, the Little River, and the Coast Fork. The pollution is from methylmercury. This is a harmful form of mercury.
The Black Butte Mine was once a very active mercury mine. It was the second-largest producer of mercury in Oregon. From 1900 to 1957, the mine produced a lot of mercury. This mercury can cause environmental problems if not handled carefully. The cleanup efforts aim to make the area safe again.
