Watersheds Bryant Creek Tributaries Hunter Creek

 

Hunter Creek

Location
Hunter Creek lies east of Ava. Water runs east off the edge of Ava and off a ridge a mile east of Highway 5; north off Highways P and AP; and south off Highway 76 and a long ridge. 

Communities: Ava is situated at the head of the creek. Basher is at the junction of Highways 76 and U. The historic community of Vera Cruz is at the confluence of Hunter Creek with the Bryant. 

Roads
Highways FF and VV are entirely inside the watershed, while Highway 14 traverses it near the mid-point. Many county gravel roads cross the watershed. You can drive along Hunter Creek for much of its length on FF and a county gravel road. Highway 14 runs along Whites Creek, a major tributary, for about 2 miles. 

Watershed Size: About 51 square miles. 

Landscape: The upper reaches of the watershed have moderate slopes. It gets steeper towards the river. There are broad ridges throughout the watershed. The upper drainage is extensively cleared, especially the moderate slopes around Ava. Much of the bottom land is pasture as are the broad ridges. There are large forested areas on the long steep slopes near Bryant Creek. Vera Cruz River Access, 80 acres of public land at the confluence of Hunter Creek and the Bryant, is located six miles east of Ava on Highway 14, then three miles north on Highway AB. Crystal Spring, a large spring near Ava, supports a fish hatchery. 

Topography
Elevation varies from 1,440 feet above sea level near Ava to 820 feet at Vera Cruz, a drop of 620 feet. 

Stream Flow
Whites Creek and Turkey Creek are tributaries with year-round flow. Hunter Creek is perennial for about 8 miles of its total length of 9 miles. Whites Creek is perennial for about 3 miles of its 6 miles. 

Bryant Flow Contributor Rank: Hunter Creek is the second largest tributary of the Bryant.