| Bishop Creek | |
|---|---|
 North Fork Bishop Creek in the Fall | |
 | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • coordinates | 37°15′57″N118°34′41″W / 37.26583°N 118.57806°W /37.26583; -118.57806 |
| • elevation | 7,400 feet (2,300 m) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Owens River |
• elevation | 4,482 feet (1,366 m) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 95 cubic feet per second (2.7 m3/s) |
Bishop Creek is a 10.1-mile-long (16.3 km)[1]stream inInyo County, California. It is the largest tributary of theOwens River. It has fivehydroelectric plants owned bySouthern California Edison, Bishop Creek #2–6. Bishop Creek #1 was never completed. Parts of the creek run through pipelines, orpenstocks, to increase output at thepower plants.
Bishop Creek has three forks, North, Middle and South. All have their headwaters in the easternSierra Nevada, near the border withFresno County. The forks all flow intolakes while still at high elevations. The North Fork flows intoNorth Lake, the Middle Fork flows intoLake Sabrina. The North and Middle forks combine above and flow through the community ofAspendell and below it the combined creeks are dammed atIntake Two, a reservoir. The South Fork flows intoSouth Lake and continues through the community of South Fork (aka Habegger's) and then joins the Middle Fork below the Intake Two reservoir. Bishop Creek then begins its steep descent to theOwens Valley. The creek runs roughly North then Northeast and then continues East, flowing past the city ofBishop before its confluence with theOwens River.
The creek was named after Owens Valley settlerSamuel Addison Bishop.[2]
In 1982, a dam burst in theSierra Nevada mountains, causing 6 inches (152.4 mm) of water to enter into Bishop Creek. Up to 1,400 residents were evacuated from their homes into the nearby town ofBishop, California.[3][4]
Media related toBishop Creek (category) at Wikimedia Commons37°18′18″N118°31′53″W / 37.304918°N 118.531494°W /37.304918; -118.531494
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