McLeod Creek
| McLeod Creek | |
|---|---|
 View of McLeod Creek, looking south over Swaner Preserve from Highland Drive, Snyderville, Utah in October 2023 | |
  Location of mouth | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| Region | Summit County, Utah |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Eastern slope of the Wasatch Range |
| • location | 1.3 miles (2.1 km) southwest of Park City, Utah |
| • coordinates | 40°37′44″N 111°31′00″W / 40.62889°N 111.51667°W[2] |
| • elevation | 8,224 ft (2,507 m) |
| Mouth | Confluence with Kimball Creek, the beginning of East Canyon Creek |
• location | 1.4 miles (2.3 km) east of Kimball Junction, Utah |
• coordinates | 40°43′26″N 111°31′07″W / 40.72389°N 111.51861°W[1] |
• elevation | 6,300 ft (1,900 m) |
| Length | 9.0 mi (14.5 km) |
McLeod Creek is a 9.0-mile-long (14.5 km)[1] northwards-flowing stream that begins 1.3 miles (2.1 km) southwest of Park City, Utah on the east side of the summit of the Wasatch Range. It is one of the upper reaches of the East Canyon Creek watershed in Summit County, Utah, which flows to the Weber River ad ultimately the Great Salt Lake.
History
[edit]McLeod Creek is probably named for long-time Park City miner and prospector John McLeod, who resided in "The Park" for about 30 years and passed away at age 67 in 1911.[3][4]
Watershed and course
[edit]McLeod Creek begins on the slopes of the Park City Mountain Resort between Crescent Ridge[5] and Treasure Hill[6] and flows northeast through Park City, Utah. As the two creeks pass north through Park City there is a low topographic divide with McLeod Creek to the west and Silver Creek to the east.[7] Silver Creek is joined by a tributary from Thaynes Canyon[8] in the city then proceeds north, whereas Silver Creek turns east to eventually join the upper Weber River at Wanship, Utah. As Silver Creek passes north around the west side of Quarry Mountain,[9] it passes beneath Utah State Route 224, the location of many vehicle-wildlife collisions. SR224 has been identified as fifth-worst highway in the state for with 2.97 vehicle-wildlife collisions per mile.[10]
Silver Creek then passes further north through the Snyderville Basin[11] east of Snyderville, Utah, and then through Parleys Park[12] towards Interstate 80. Shortly after crossing north beneath I80, it is joined on the right by a smaller stream named Kimball Creek,[13] and this confluence forms the source of East Canyon Creek, a tributary of the Weber River, and ultimately, the Great Salt Lake.[14] Note the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) likely needs to be corrected to be consistent with the U.S. Geological Survey report and map.
Ecology and conservation
[edit]From the mid-1800s through the 1970s, the McLeod Creek and nearby Silver Creek watersheds about Park City were mined extensively for silver and lead. Tailing wastes from these mines continue to pollute Silver Creek, and to a less extent, McLeod and Kimball Creeks. However, lead and zinc concentrations in McLeod Creek may still pose a risk to aquatic life.[7]
As McLeod Creek passes between Iron Mountain[15] and Quarry Mountain near the White Barn at McPolin Farmstead, it crosses Highway 224. There have been many deer, elk, and moose collisions at this location, highlighting its importance as a critical wildlife corridor. The organization Save People Save Wildlife has argued for better fencing and a crossing structure to protect both vehicle passengers and wildlife at this location.[16]
Bonneville cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii utah) is a Utah Sensitive subspecies of cutthroat trout and was the native trout species in the East Canyon Creek watershed, however it is thought to be extirpated due to decreased flows, increased nutrient input, degradation to water and habitat quality, and depredation by non-native introduced brown trout (Salmo trutta) and possibly by hybridization with non-native introduced rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).[17]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, accessed August 3, 2023
- ^ "McLeod Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "John McLeod Death Notice". Park City, Utah: The Park Record. March 18, 1911. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ "Old Prospector Dies". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. Mar 17, 1911. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ "Crescent Ridge". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Treasure Hill". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b Elise M. P. Giddings; Michelle I. Hornberger; Heidi K. Hadley (2001). Trace-metal Concentrations in Sediment and Water and Health of Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Communities of Streams Near Park City, Summit County, Utah (Report). U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. p. 22. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- ^ "Thaynes Canyon". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Quarry Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ Toria Barnhart (April 17, 2024). "UDOT rejects wildlife crossing at S.R. 224 as state considers other strategies for highway with fifth-worst rate of wildlife collisions". The Park Record. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ "South Snyderville Basin". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Parleys Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Kimball Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ C.D. Wilkowske (2005). Seepage Study of McLeod Creek and East Canyon Creek near Park City, Summit County, Utah, 2004, Scientific Report Report 2005-5164 (PDF) (Report). Reston, Virginia: U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ^ "Iron Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ Shelby Lofton (October 4, 2023). "Park City wildlife advocacy group asks UDOT to take action after two moose die in a single day". KSLTV.com. Park City, Utah. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
- ^ Carl Adams; Linda Burfitt; Kari Chalker; Catherine Chatfield; John Christensen; Doug Davidson; Erica Gaddis; J. Hope Hornbeck; Greg Larson; Kari Lundeen; Audrey McCulley; Jerry Miller; Megan Nelson; David Reinhart; Laura Burch Vernon (May 1, 2020). East Canyon Reservoir and East Canyon Creek Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) (Report). Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah Division of Water Quality. Retrieved July 20, 2023.