Cottonwood Creek (Inyo County, California)

Cottonwood Creek
Origin	37°34′19″N 118°13′37″W / 37.572°N 118.227°W / 37.572; -118.227
Length	21.5 miles (34.6 km)

Cottonwood Creek originates in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forests of the White Mountains of California. The creek flows eastward from the 14,000-foot crest of the White Mountains and steeply descends through groves of aspen, eventually flowing into a sagebrush desert. Numerous springs feed the creek as it meanders through large meadows of the upper reaches. Stands of aspen and bristlecone pine can be found in the higher elevations, while lower elevations are marked with stands of pinyon and juniper trees.^[1]

Cottonwood Creek is home to the rare Paiute cutthroat trout, one of the rarest trout in North America. The stream is flanked by a forest of aspen, willow and cottonwoods that also supports more than 70 species of birds.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b}  This article incorporates public domain material from the Rivers.gov document "Cottonwood Creek".