Hat Creek (California) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hat Creek |
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Hat Creek in Lassen Volcanic National Park
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Cities | Old Station, Hat Creek, Cassel |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Confluence of East and West Forks Dersch Meadows, Lassen Volcanic National Park 6,302 ft (1,921 m) 40°31′02″N 121°27′19″W / 40.51722°N 121.45528°W |
| River mouth | Pit River Lake Britton 2,736 ft (834 m) 40°59′23″N 121°34′43″W / 40.98972°N 121.57861°W |
| Length | 48.7 mi (78.4 km) |
Hat Creek is a 48.7-mile-long (78.4 km) stream and tributary of the Pit River, located in Shasta County of northern California.
The creek rises in two forks on the eastern slopes of Lassen Peak in Lassen Volcanic National Park, and flows northward through Lassen National Forest to its mouth at Lake Britton near Burney, California.
Hat Creek is so named because a surveyor lost his hat there.
Wild Trout Waterway
The lower three and a half miles of the creek has been designated by the California Department of Fish and Game as a "Wild Trout Waterway," with restrictive catch limits. This area has a similar geology to the chalk streams of southern England, and is considered a classic trout stream. The trout population is made of wild rainbow and brown trout of up to 20 inches (510 mm) in length.
Towns
The main towns along Hat Creek are Hat Creek and Old Station, which is closer to Lassen Park. The Hat Creek Radio Observatory is located near the town of Hat Creek.
During the May 19, 1915, eruption of Mount Lassen, a lahar or mudflow swept down Hat Creek and neighboring Lost Creek.
