Wildhorse Creek (Alvord Lake) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wildhorse Creek |
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Wildhorse Lake and Canyon
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 Location of the mouth of Wildhorse Creek in Oregon
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Harney |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Steens Mountain Oregon 8,943 ft (2,726 m) 42°38′16″N 118°35′07″W / 42.63778°N 118.58528°W |
| River mouth | Alvord Lake 4,026 ft (1,227 m) 42°24′26″N 118°36′24″W / 42.40722°N 118.60667°W |
| Type: | Wild |
| Designated: | October 30, 2000 |
Wildhorse Creek is a cool stream in Harney County, Oregon, in the United States. It starts high up on Steens Mountain. The creek then flows south through a place called Wildhorse Canyon. It ends its journey in Alvord Lake, which is a shallow, salty lake. This lake is south of the Alvord Desert.
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About Wildhorse Creek
Wildhorse Creek is special because part of it is protected. The upper 7 miles (11 km) of the creek are part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. This system helps protect beautiful, natural rivers. A smaller stream, Little Wildhorse Creek, is also part of this system. Both creeks flow through the Steens Mountain Wilderness. This is a wild area before they reach private land.
Where Wildhorse Creek Flows
Near where it begins, Wildhorse Creek flows into and out of Wildhorse Lake. This lake sits in a "hanging valley," which is a valley that is higher up than the main valley or canyon it joins. The creek then continues its path through the canyon.
Animals You Might See
The area around Wildhorse Creek is home to many animals. You might spot mule deer and elk. There are also bighorn sheep and pronghorn, which are very fast animals. Wildhorse Lake is about 20 acres (8.1 ha) big. It has a special type of fish called Lahontan cutthroat trout. These trout lay their eggs in the creek.
Nearby Places
There's a "ghost town" called Andrews, Oregon, located west of Wildhorse Creek. A ghost town is a place where people used to live, but now it's mostly empty. Slightly north of this ghost town, you can find the Wildhorse Valley Airport.
Streams Joining Wildhorse Creek
A "tributary" is a smaller stream or river that flows into a larger one. As Wildhorse Creek flows from its source to Alvord Lake, several smaller streams join it. The first one is Little Wildhorse Creek, which flows into the main creek in Wildhorse Canyon. Further down, in the Wildhorse Valley, other creeks also join. These include Willow, Willow Spring, Deppy, Stonehouse, Spring, Wilson, Andrews, Butte, Juniper, and Miranda creeks. All these smaller streams flow into Wildhorse Creek from its right side.
