Icicle Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Icicle Creek |
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Rapids on Icicle Creek
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Location of the mouth of Icicle Creek in Washington
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| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Chelan |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Cascade Range 4,681 ft (1,427 m) 47°43′7″N 121°3′3″W / 47.71861°N 121.05083°W |
| River mouth | Wenatchee River 47°34′48″N 120°39′57″W / 47.58000°N 120.66583°W |
| Length | 31.8 mi (51.2 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 212.7 sq mi (551 km2) |
Icicle Creek is a stream located in the state of Washington in the United States. It starts at Josephine Lake high up in the Cascade Range mountains. From there, it flows generally east until it joins the Wenatchee River near the town of Leavenworth.
Most of the land around Icicle Creek is wild and undeveloped. It's part of the Wenatchee National Forest and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. This area is very mountainous and beautiful. The last 6 miles (10 km) of the creek, closer to Leavenworth, has some homes, a golf course, and a children's camp. You can also find the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery there.
Some of the creek's water is used by the town of Leavenworth for its residents. If you visit, you can walk along the Icicle Creek Nature Trail. This trail is 1.0 mile (1.6 km) long and is even wheelchair-accessible. It was named a National Recreation Trail in 2005.
The name "Icicle Creek" comes from an old Native American word, na-sik-elt. This word means "narrow canyon," which perfectly describes parts of the creek.
Contents
Journey of Icicle Creek
Icicle Creek begins its journey as water flowing out of Josephine Lake. This lake is very close to the top of the Cascade Mountains. From the lake, the creek flows south through a deep, narrow valley. After a few miles, it turns southeast. Here, its valley looks like a big "U" shape, which was carved by glaciers long ago.
Mountain Tributaries
As Icicle Creek continues, many smaller streams, called tributaries, join it. One important tributary is French Creek, which flows from the west. French Creek also travels through a long, U-shaped valley. It collects water from several high peaks in the Wenatchee Mountains, like Granite Mountain. Another major tributary is Jack Creek, which joins Icicle Creek from the south. Jack Creek drains areas near famous peaks such as Mount Stuart and Ingalls Peak.
Further downstream, Chatter Creek joins from the north. There are several campgrounds along Icicle Creek where these smaller streams meet, like Chatter Creek Campground. Other creeks like Hoxsey, Bob, and Ida also add their waters to Icicle Creek.
High Mountain Waters
Around river mile 8, a larger stream called Eightmile Creek flows into Icicle Creek. Eightmile Creek and its own tributaries, Mountaineer Creek and Pioneer Creek, drain a huge area to the southwest. This area includes many lakes, such as Eightmile Lake, Colchuck Lake, and Lake Stuart.
This region is home to some of the highest mountains in the Wenatchee Mountains, known as the Stuart Range. These include Mount Stuart, which is the tallest non-volcanic peak in Washington state. These high mountains even have glaciers, like Colchuck Glacier.
Journey to the River
After Eightmile Creek, Rat Creek joins Icicle Creek from the south. This creek flows from the slopes of Cannon Mountain and the beautiful Enchantment Peaks. This area is famous for its many mountain lakes.
Just before river mile 5, Snow Creek joins Icicle Creek. Snow Creek flows from the very heart of The Enchantments, a well-known area of high alpine lakes nestled between the Enchantment Peaks and the Stuart Range.
Finally, Icicle Creek leaves the Wenatchee National Forest. Its valley becomes wider, and the creek flows more gently. It passes the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery and some scattered houses before it empties into the larger Wenatchee River, about a mile south of Leavenworth.
Water Quality
In 1993, experts checked the water quality of Icicle Creek. The Washington State Department of Ecology found that the water was very good. It "met or exceeded expectations," meaning it was clean and healthy.
Streams Joining Icicle Creek
Many smaller streams flow into Icicle Creek along its path. Here are some of them, listed from closer to its mouth to closer to its source:
- Snow Creek
- Toketie Creek
- Rat Creek
- Lion Creek
- Eightmile Creek
- Mountaineer Creek
- Pioneer Creek
- Bridge Creek
- Fourth of July Creek
- Mac Creek
- Victoria Creek
- Johnny Creek
- Jay Creek
- Big Slide Creek
- Ida Creek
- Doctor Creek
- Bob Creek
- Hoxsey Creek
- Chatter Creek
- Trout Creek
- Jack Creek
- Meadow Creek
- Van Epps Creek
- Boggy Creek
- Grindstone Creek
- Black Pine Creek
- French Creek
- Snowall Creek
- Spanish Camp Creek
- Frosty Creek
- Doughgod Creek
- Cuitin Creek
- Leland Creek
- Prospect Creek
- Chain Creek
- Trapper Creek
- Basin Creek
Images for kids
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The creek near its mouth, looking upstream
