Cottonwood Creek

California

Cottonwood Creek originates in ancient bristlecone forests and is the longest perennial stream east of the White Mountains. The creek flows eastward from the 14,000-foot crest of the White Mountains and steeply descends through groves of aspen, eventually flowing into a sagebrush desert. Numerous springs feed the creek as it meanders through large meadows in the upper reaches. Stands of aspen and bristlecone pine can be found in the higher elevations, while lower elevations are marked with stands of pinyon and juniper trees.

Recreational
Wild
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Designated Reach

March 30, 2009. From its headwaters at the spring in Section 27, Township 4 South, Range 34 East to the northern boundary of Section 5, Township 4 South, Range 34 East.

Outstandingly Remarkable Values

Culture

Cottonwood Creek and Canyon (known as tō’sa kwā’ si wü’ha to the Paiute) was a Paiute/Shoshone trail corridor connecting the high elevation resources of the White Mountains to the lower elevation resources of Fish Lake Valley. Cultural resource sites along the river corridor represen...Show More

Fish

Paiute cutthroat trout were introduced to Cottonwood Creek in 1946 by a transplant from the Silver King Creek Basin, and descendants of that transplant survive in the creek today and have formed a self-sustaining population, one of five in existence. The population is found upstream of the c...Show More

Scenery

Outstanding features include a bristlecone pine forest, scattered areas of rocky outcrops, aspen groves, sagebrush, meadow, and narrow canyon. The approach to the headwaters area provides an overview of the corridor before dropping into Cottonwood Basin for a closer view. The diverse compone...Show More

Wildlife

Wildlife supported by the unique plant community include a number of special status and/or sensitive bird species, such as yellow warbler, yellow-breasted chat, prairie falcon, sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks, and the basin is potentially suitable habitat for the southwestern willow flycatcher, ...Show More

Botany

Forest Service sensitive/SCC plants known to be in Cottonwood Creek include trianglelobe moonwort, scalloped moonwort, western singlespike sedge, valley sedge, Hall’s hawksbeard, male fern, Poison Canyon stickseed, blue nodding locoweed, Rolland’s bulrush, and Dedecker’s clover. There is a high n...Show More

Classification/Mileage

Recreational Wild
Recreational — 4.1 miles; Wild — 17.4 miles; Total — 21.5 miles.
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