Big Kimshew Creek
| Big Kimshew Creek | |
|---|---|
|
Kayakers run Frenchy’s Falls on Big Kimshew Creek during the springtime | |
| Basin | |
| Main source | Table Mountain |
| River mouth | West Branch Feather River |
| Watershed area | 27 square miles (70 km2) |
| Countries | United States |
| Physiognomy | |
| Length | 11 miles (18 km) |
| Discharge |
|
Big Kimshew Creek is a stream in northern California in the United States, some 11 miles (18 km) long. It flows generally SSW from its headwaters in the Lassen National Forest of the Sierra Nevada into the West Branch Feather River, a tributary of the Feather River, a major Northern California river system.
The creek is known for its whitewater rapids and waterfalls. Its discharge fluctuates dramatically between spring snowmelt and the autumn, ranging from 10 to 1,000 cubic feet per second (0.28 to 28.32 m3/s).
Geography
The creek rises in a meadow 1 mile (1.6 km) northwest of Table Mountain in the southern extreme of the national forest. It flows south into a gorge, receiving Keyser Creek from the right, and Little Kimshew Creek from the left shortly after. At the Little Kimshew confluence it turns west, then again southwest, through a valley over 1,200 feet (370 m) deep. It is joined by Little Rock Creek just above the confluence with the West Branch Feather. The creek’s mouth is situated about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south of Stirling City.