Hat Creek (California)

Hat Creek is a 48.7-mile-long (78.4 km)[6] stream and tributary of the Pit River, located in Shasta County of northern California.

Hat Creek
Hat Creek in Lassen Volcanic National Park
Location
Country	United States
State	California
Cities	Old Station, Hat Creek, Cassel
Physical characteristics
Source	Confluence of East and West Forks
• location	Dersch Meadows, Lassen Volcanic National Park
• coordinates	40°31′02″N 121°27′19″W[1]
• elevation	6,302 ft (1,921 m)
Mouth	Pit River
• location	Lake Britton
• coordinates	40°59′23″N 121°34′43″W[1]
• elevation	2,736 ft (834 m)
Length	48.7 mi (78.4 km)
Discharge
• location	Burney (combined USGS stations #11359300/Burney No.2 Powerhouse and #11359200/Hat Creek near Burney)[2][3]
• average	472.2 cu ft/s (13.37 m^3/s)[4][5]

The creek rises in two forks on the eastern slopes of Lassen Peak in Lassen Volcanic National Park, and flows northward through Lassen National Forest to its mouth at Lake Britton near Burney, California.[7]

Hat Creek is so named because a surveyor lost his hat there.[8]

Wild Trout Waterway

The lower three and a half miles of the creek has been designated by the California Department of Fish and Game as a "Wild Trout Waterway," with restrictive catch limits. This area has a similar geology to the chalk streams of southern England, and is considered a classic trout stream. The trout population is made of wild rainbow and brown trout of up to 20 inches (510 mm) in length.

Towns

The main towns along Hat Creek are Hat Creek and Old Station, which is closer to Lassen Park. The Hat Creek Radio Observatory is located near the town of Hat Creek.

During the May 19, 1915, eruption of Mount Lassen, a lahar or mudflow swept down Hat Creek and neighboring Lost Creek.[9]

See also

• Pit River topics
• Rivers of Shasta County, California
• List of rivers of California

The upper Hat Creek Valley.

References

1. "Hat Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 1981-01-19. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
2. "USGS Gage #11359200 on Hat Creek near Burney, CA". National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. 2006–2014. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
3. "USGS Gage #11359300 Hat Creek Powerhouse No. 2 near Burney, CA". National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. 1979–2014. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
4. "USGS Gage #11359200 on Hat Creek near Burney, CA". National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. 2006–2014. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
5. "USGS Gage #11359300 Hat Creek Powerhouse No. 2 near Burney, CA". National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. 1979–2014. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
6. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed March 10, 2011
7. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Hat Creek
8. "Sierra Nevada Geotourism MapGuide: Hat Creek Rim Overlook". National Geographic.
9. "Lassen Peak Eruptive Activity 1914-1921". Cascades Volcanoes Observatory, USGS. 2004-12-01. Retrieved 2009-08-29.

• Wild trout & catch-and-release waters; "Hat Creek"; California Department of Fish and Game; 2003; url accessed October 26, 2006
• Hat Creek Fly Fishing; Troutsource.com; url accessed October 26, 2006