Willow Creek (Deschutes River tributary)

Willow Creek is a tributary, about 26 miles (42 km) long, of the Deschutes River in central Oregon in the United States.[3] Arising near Foley Butte in the western Ochoco Mountains in Crook County, it flows generally northwest into Jefferson County and through the Crooked River National Grassland. The creek continues through the city of Madras and becomes the dividing line between two plateaus, Agency Plains and Little Agency Plains. It then enters the Deschutes above Pelton Dam and its impoundment, Lake Simtustus, about 105 miles (169 km) from the river's confluence with the Columbia River.[4]

Willow Creek
Location of the mouth of Willow Creek in Oregon
Location
Country	United States
State	Oregon
Counties	Crook, Jefferson
Physical characteristics
Source	Ochoco Mountains
• location	Ochoco National Forest, Crook County
• coordinates	44°30′28″N 120°48′29″W[1]
• elevation	4,415 ft (1,346 m)[2]
Mouth	Deschutes River
• location	Lake Simtustus, Jefferson County
• coordinates	44°40′18″N 121°13′41″W[1]
• elevation	1,591 ft (485 m)[1]
Length	26 mi (42 km)[3]
Basin size	181 sq mi (470 km2)[3]
Discharge
• minimum	1 cu ft/s (0.028 m3/s)

Named tributaries from source to mouth are Higgins, Coon, Newbill, and McMeen creeks followed by Dry Canyon.[4] The creek and its tributaries support populations of redband trout, largescale sucker, bridgelip sucker, and longnose dace.[3]