Boulder Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed March 25, 2011 creek draining the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico ...

to the west of

Boulder, Colorado Boulder is a home rule city that is the county seat and most populous municipality of Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 108,250 at the 2020 United States census, making it the 12th most populous city in Colora ...

, as well as the city itself and surrounding plains.

Route

The creek is formed by two main tributaries rising along the

Continental Divide A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not c ...

: North and Middle Boulder Creek; and later joined by South Boulder Creek. North Boulder Creek forms in a valley between Navajo Peak and Arikaree Peak on the Continental Divide, in the Green Lakes chain of lakes. The creek flows past the community of Switzerland Park to join Middle Boulder Creek. Middle Boulder Creek rises as two forks from the Continental Divide: the North Fork rises in a cirque below Mount Neva and flows to the South Fork. The South Fork rises at Rollins Pass on the Continental Divide and flows to the North Fork. From the junction of the two forks, Middle Boulder Creek, long, flows east through the towns of Eldora and Nederland into

Barker Meadow Reservoir Barker Reservoir is a water supply reservoir in the Colorado Front Range located near the town of Nederland, Colorado in southwestern Boulder County. Barker Dam provides water to a downstream hydroelectric power generating facility, and its r ...

, a water supply for the city of Boulder, before joining North Boulder Creek to form the main stem of Boulder Creek. From its source at the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

of the North and Middle Boulder forks, Boulder Creek flows down Boulder Canyon and through downtown Boulder. On the east edge of the city, the creek receives South Boulder Creek, which rises at Rogers Pass on the Continental Divide, just south of the

Moffat Tunnel The Moffat Tunnel is a railroad and water tunnel that cuts through the Continental Divide in north-central Colorado. Named after Colorado railroad pioneer David Moffat, the tunnel's first official railroad traffic passed through in February 192 ...

. South Boulder Creek flows through Rollinsville,

Gross Reservoir Gross Reservoir, located in Boulder County, Colorado, is owned and operated by Denver Water. Completed in 1954, the reservoir has a surface area of 440 acres, and the spillway sits at 7,225 feet elevation. The reservoir receives water from the we ...

, and Eldorado Canyon before leaving the mountains and curving past the south and east sides of Boulder to its

mouth In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...

at Boulder Creek. After leaving the city, Boulder Creek flows northeast into

Weld County Weld County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 328,981. The county seat is Greeley. Weld County comprises the Greeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Denv ...

, where it joins St. Vrain Creek, and on to a confluence with the

Platte River The Platte River () is a major river in the State of Nebraska. It is about long; measured to its farthest source via its tributary, the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which itsel ...

. Its waters ultimately flow into the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...

and the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

Recreation

Boulder Creek is a summer recreational spot for outdoor activities including tubing,

fly fishing Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight fishing lure, lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. The fly is Casting (fishing), cast using a fly rod, Fishing reel#Fly reel, reel, and specialized Fly line, weighted line. T ...

, and wading. The annual Boulder Creek Festival, held along the creekside civic area between the library and Central Park, opens the summer season on Memorial Day weekend.

Fish species

Fish surveys from 1990, 1995, and 2006 found the following species of fish in Boulder Creek.Steinmann, D. B., & Windell, J. T. (1990). Boulder Creek Fish Survey Application of Rabid Bioassessment Protocol V-Fish and The Index of Biotic Integrity at Boulder Creek Before and After Implementation Of Best Management Practices. E.P.O. Biology University of Colorado.

References

External links

Boulder Creek Report
{{authority control Rivers of Colorado Tributaries of the Platte River Rivers of Boulder County, Colorado

Route

Recreation

Fish species

See also

References

External links