List of Lake Tahoe inflow streams facts for kids
Lake Tahoe is a huge, beautiful lake, and it gets most of its water from many rivers and creeks that flow into it. These are called inflow streams. Every year, these streams bring in about 310,000 acre-feet of water. That's a lot of water – enough to cover 310,000 football fields with one foot of water! This makes up a big part of the 530,000 acre-feet of water that moves through Lake Tahoe each year.
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We can group these rivers and creeks by where they enter the lake: the north, east, south, and west shores. Let's take a look at them, moving around the lake in a clockwise direction.
Contents
Streams of the North Shore
The north side of Lake Tahoe has several important streams.
- Burton Creek
* This creek flows through and gives its name to Burton Creek State Park.
- Dollar Creek (Washo name: diphEkhwo'tha)
* It flows into Lake Tahoe at a spot called Dollar Point, California.
- Watson Creek
* Starting near Mount Watson and Watson Lake, this creek flows into Lake Tahoe near Carnelian Bay, California.
- Carnelian Canyon
* A short, unnamed creek runs down Carnelian Canyon to Lake Tahoe at Carnelian Bay.
- Tahoe Vista
* Snow Creek flows through the town of Tahoe Vista and into Lake Tahoe at Moon Dune Beach.
- Griff Creek
* This creek flows from Martis Peak down to Kings Beach.
- Incline Creek (Washo name: maʔgóyola)
* It flows through the Diamond Peak Ski Resort and into Crystal Bay, Lake Tahoe, at Incline Village. It brings in about 4,740 acre-feet of water each year.
Streams of the East Shore
Moving to the east side of Lake Tahoe, we find more streams.
- Burke Creek
* This creek flows from Genoa Peak to Stateline, Nevada.
- Glenbrook Creek (Washo name: dawmalá:dɨp)
* It brings about 890 acre-feet of water into the lake each year.
- Lincoln Creek
* Flowing from Genoa Peak, this creek reaches Lake Tahoe at Cave Rock.
- Logan House Creek
* This creek contributes about 300 acre-feet of water annually.
- McFaul Creek
* It flows into Lake Tahoe at Zephyr Cove, Nevada.
- Mill Creek
* This creek flows into Lake Tahoe past the famous Ponderosa Ranch.
- Edgewood Creek (Washo name: ʔlá:m wát'a)
* It's the namesake for the Edgewood Golf Course and provides about 2,300 acre-feet of water each year.
- Marlette Creek (Washo name: pagác'ima)
* This creek starts at Marlette Lake and flows west into Lake Tahoe, contributing about 1,740 acre-feet of water annually.
- North Canyon Creek
* It flows into Lake Tahoe at Deadman's Point in Glenbrook, Nevada.
- Secret Harbor Creek
* This creek also flows into the lake on the east shore.
- Third Creek
* It brings a significant amount of water, about 5,630 acre-feet per year.
- Tunnel Creek
* This creek flows into Lake Tahoe near Hidden Beach.
Streams of the South Shore
The south shore of Lake Tahoe is home to some of the largest inflow streams.
- Trout Creek
* It starts south of Freel Peak in the Carson Range and flows into South Lake Tahoe. It's a big contributor, bringing about 25,770 acre-feet of water annually.
- Upper Truckee River
* This is the largest stream flowing into Lake Tahoe. It starts from Red Lake Peak and flows to South Lake Tahoe, providing a massive 71,311 acre-feet of water each year.
- Taylor Creek (Washo name: dawgašašíwa)
* This creek begins in Fallen Leaf Lake and enters Lake Tahoe west of Camp Richardson. It contributes about 30,910 acre-feet of water annually.
- Tallac Creek (Washo name: debelelélek)
* It starts on Mount Tallac and flows north into Lake Tahoe.
- Cascade Creek
* Its headwaters are near Kalmia Lake, and it flows into Lake Cascade before reaching Lake Tahoe.
- Eagle Creek
* This creek starts at Dicks Peak and flows down Eagle Canyon into Emerald Bay and then into Lake Tahoe.
Streams of the West Shore
Finally, let's look at the streams on the west side of Lake Tahoe.
- Rubicon Creek
* Its headwaters are at Rubicon Peak to the north and Jakes Peak to the south. It flows into Lake Tahoe near D.L. Bliss State Park.
- General Creek (Washo name: dukMéʔem)
* Starting at Peak 8721, this creek flows into Lake Tahoe, bringing about 11,800 acre-feet of water each year.
- Meeks Creek
* This creek begins at Rubicon Lake and flows to D.L. Bliss State Park.
- McKinney Creek (Washo name: šuʔwélɨk)
* It starts at Lily Lake, flows through McKinney Lake, and then into Lake Tahoe at Chambers Landing.
- Quail Creek
* Its headwaters are at Quail Lake, and it flows into Lake Tahoe.
- Homewood Creek (Washo name: dúku dawot'o)
* Starting at Peak 8416, this creek flows into Lake Tahoe.
- Madden Creek
* This creek begins at Ellis Peak and flows into Lake Tahoe.
- Blackwood Creek (Washo name: dogásliʔ)
* Its headwaters are at Peak 8652, and it flows down into Lake Tahoe, contributing about 26,280 acre-feet of water annually.
- Ward Creek (Washo name: dagásliʔ)
* Starting at Peak 8521, this creek flows down Ward Canyon into Lake Tahoe, bringing about 18,390 acre-feet of water each year.
See also
