Poso Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Poso Creek |
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 Location of the mouth within California
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| Other name(s) | Posey Creek |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| District | Kern County |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | source Confluence of Spear Creek and Von Hellem Creek on the west slope of the Greenhorn Mountains of the Sierra Nevada, Kern County 4,300 ft (1,300 m) 35°48′14″N 118°39′12″W / 35.80389°N 118.65333°W |
| River mouth | mouth Kern River south of Tulare Lake, Kern County 223 ft (68 m) 35°43′05″N 119°37′34″W / 35.71806°N 119.62611°W |
| Length | 87.9 mi (141.5 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 575 sq mi (1,490 km2) |
Poso Creek or Posey Creek is a stream in Kern County, California. It is about 87.9 miles (141.5 km) long. This creek is an intermittent stream, which means it only flows with water during certain times of the year, usually after it rains.
Contents
Poso Creek's Journey
Where Poso Creek Starts
Poso Creek begins high up in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Its source is in the Sequoia National Forest, where the land can be as high as 8,000 feet (2,400 meters). A beautiful 50-foot (15-meter) waterfall, called Spear Creek Falls (or Poso Creek Falls), is found on a smaller stream that feeds into Poso Creek.
The main part of Poso Creek starts where two smaller streams, Spear Creek and Von Hellem Creek, join together. This spot is on the western side of the Greenhorn Mountains.
Through the Valley
As Poso Creek flows, it travels south through the Linn Valley. It passes by small towns like Posey and Glennville. Then it reaches Poso Flat, where two more creeks, Cedar Creek and Little Poso Creek, add their water to it.
After that, Poso Creek turns west. It flows through areas with oil fields, like Mount Poso and Poso Creek oil fields. Sometimes, during big floods, oil from these fields can mix with the creek's water.
Reaching the San Joaquin Valley
Below the oil fields, the creek enters the San Joaquin Valley. This area has many farms. Poso Creek flows between the towns of Wasco and McFarland.
The creek goes under Highway 99 and the Southern Pacific Railroad near Famoso. A few miles downstream, it crosses the Friant-Kern Canal, which is a large water channel. Most of the lower part of Poso Creek flows through man-made channels, starting north of Wasco.
Where Poso Creek Ends
Poso Creek eventually reaches the Kern River floodway. This area is part of the Kern National Wildlife Refuge. The floodway connects two lakes that are usually dry: Buena Vista Lake and Tulare Lake.
Water Flow and Fish
How Poso Creek Flows
Poso Creek mostly gets its water from rain. Because of this, it only flows during certain seasons, usually from November to May, in its upper parts. The lower parts of the creek are an ephemeral wash, meaning they are often completely dry.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the water flow in Poso Creek for many years, from 1959 to 1985. On average, it carried about 39 cubic feet (1.1 cubic meters) of water per second each year. The most water ever recorded was 6,700 cubic feet (190 cubic meters) per second on February 25, 1969. But in 1977, the creek was completely dry for six months in a row.
A Special Fish in Poso Creek
Poso Creek is a very special place for a type of fish called Luxilis occidentalis. In fact, it's one of only two places where this fish was known to live. The other place was Four Creeks in the Tulare Valley. A scientist named Dr. A.L. Heerman found this fish in Poso Creek way back in 1855. The local name for Poso Creek was "0-co-ya."
