Silver Creek
Silver Creek (Weber River tributary) is located in Utah
Silver Creek (Weber River tributary)
Location of mouth
Location
CountryUnited States
StateUtah
RegionSummit County, Utah
Physical characteristics
SourceNorthern slope of Bald Eagle Mountain[1] in the Wasatch Range
 • location1.3 miles (2.1 km) southwest of Park City, Utah
 • coordinates40°37′44″N 111°31′00″W / 40.62889°N 111.51667°W / 40.62889; -111.51667[2]
 • elevation8,224 ft (2,507 m)
MouthConfluence with Weber River
 • location
Wanship, Utah
 • coordinates
40°48′59″N 111°23′58″W / 40.81639°N 111.39944°W / 40.81639; -111.39944[2]
 • elevation
5,824 ft (1,775 m)
Length19.3 mi (31.1 km)

Silver Creek is a 19.3-mile-long (31.1 km)[3] north by northeastwards-flowing stream that begins 1.3 miles (2.1 km) southwest of Park City, Utah on Bald Eagle Mountain east of the Wasatch Range summit. It is a tributary of the upper Weber River in Summit County, Utah, which ultimately flows to the Great Salt Lake.

History

Silver Creek was named for its crystal clear, sparkling water according to one source.[4] Alternatively, the watersheds about Park City, including Silver Creek, were mined extensively for silver and other metal ores.[5]

Watershed and course

Silver Creek heads on the north slope of Bald Eagle Mountain in the Deer Valley Ski Resort. From there it flows north through Deer Valley Meadow[6] then northwest through Park City, Utah. From Park City north through the Snyderville Basin[7] there is a low topographic divide with McLeod Creek to the west and Silver Creek to the east.[5] After passing through Park City Silver Creek turns east and follows Kearns Boulevard (Utah State Route 248) until it passes beneath Highway 40. East of Highway 40 Silver Creek turns north until it reaches and follows Interstate 80 along the Historic Rail Trail until it joins the upper Weber River at Wanship, Utah, while McLeod Creek continues north through the South Snyderville Basin east of Snyderville, Utah, and then through Parleys Park[8] towards Interstate 80. Silver Creek then follows I80 northeast until it joins the Weber River at Wanship, Utah.

Ecology and conservation

From the mid-1800s through the 1970s, the Silver Creek and nearby McLeod watersheds about Park City were mined extensively for silver and lead. Most of the mining on Silver Creek was in Empire Canyon. Tailing wastes from these mines continue to pollute Silver Creek, and to a less extent, McLeod and Kimball Creeks.[5] A total maximum daily load report for zinc and cadmium was completed in 2004.[9] However, 2003 testing of Silver Creek's trout found cadmium, zinc, and selenium below health safety levels with the exception of lead and arsenic. The fish sampled included native Bonneville cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii utah) and non-native rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brown trout (Salmo trutta).[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Bald Eagle Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. 1 2 "Silver Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  3. ↑ 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
  4. ↑ John W. Van Cott (1990). Utah Place Names: A Comprehensive Guide to the Origins of Geographic Names: a Compilation. Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press. p. 341. ISBN 978-0-87480-345-7.
  5. 1 2 3 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.
  6. ↑ "Deer Valley". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  7. ↑ "South Snyderville Basin". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  8. ↑ "Parleys Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  9. ↑ Michael Baker (2004). Silver Creek Total Maximum Daily Load For Dissolved Zinc And Cadmium (Report). Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah Division of Water Quality. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  10. ↑ Health Consultation: Fish Sampling in Silver Creek Analysis of Metals and Potential Health Impacts, Silver Creek Tailings, Park City, Summit County, Utah (PDF) (Report). Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. October 27, 2004. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
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