Tumalo Creek
River in central Oregon, U.S.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tumalo Creek is a tributary, about 20 miles (32 km) long,[4] of the Deschutes River, located in Deschutes County in Central Oregon, United States. It rises in the Cascade Range at 44.04706°N 121.598647°W, where Middle Fork Tumalo Creek and North Fork Tumalo Creek meet, and forms several waterfalls, including the 97-foot (30 m) Tumalo Falls. Its mouth is on the Deschutes at 44.1159506°N 121.3394783°W.[7]
| Tumalo Creek | |
|---|---|
Below Tumalo Falls | |
  Location of the mouth of Tumalo Creek in Oregon | |
| Etymology | Perhaps from the Klamath word for wild plum[1] |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Deschutes |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | confluence of Middle and North forks of Tumalo Creek |
| • location | Deschutes National Forest near Mount Bachelor, Cascade Range |
| • coordinates | 44°02′49″N 121°35′55″W[2] |
| • elevation | 5,597 ft (1,706 m)[3] |
| Mouth | Deschutes River |
• location | north of Bend, upstream of Tumalo State Park |
• coordinates | 44°06′57″N 121°20′22″W[2] |
• elevation | 3,245 ft (989 m)[2] |
| Length | 20 mi (32 km)[4] |
| Basin size | 59 sq mi (150 km2)[5] |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 75 cu ft/s (2.1 m3/s)[6] |
| • maximum | 250 cu ft/s (7.1 m3/s) |
It is home to several species of trout, including the Columbia River redband trout. It is the primary drinking water source for the city of Bend.[8] The lower reaches of the creek are often emptied for irrigation, drained by a tunnel flume at 44.09589°N 121.35966°W and Tumalo Canal at 44.09591°N 121.35970°W.
In 1883, the first known canal to be dug from the creek was created to divert water to farms.[9] The 1979 Bridge Creek Fire and related salvage logging increased erosion and damaged habitats in and near Tumalo Creek. Since 2003, a network of government agencies and volunteer groups have been working to restore fish and wildlife habitat along a 3-mile (5 km) stretch of the stream.[10][needs update]
