Dinkey Creek (California)
| Dinkey Creek | |
|---|---|
Map of the Kings River watershed, including Dinkey Creek | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Sierra Nevada |
| • coordinates | 37°08′44″N 119°03′59″W / 37.14556°N 119.06639°W |
| • elevation | 10,152 ft (3,094 m) |
| Mouth | North Fork Kings River |
• location | Balch Camp |
• coordinates | 36°54′08″N 119°07′21″W / 36.90222°N 119.12250°W |
• elevation | 1,240 ft (380 m) |
| Length | 29.2 mi (47.0 km) |
| Basin size | 132 sq mi (340 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | near Balch Camp |
| • average | 182.4 cu ft/s (5.16 m3/s) |
| • minimum | 1.56 cu ft/s (0.044 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 4,320 cu ft/s (122 m3/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Bear Creek, Deer Creek |
| • right | Cow Creek, Rock Creek, Bull Meadow Creek |
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Dinkey Creek is a large stream in the southern Sierra Nevada, in Fresno County, California. The creek is 29.2 miles (47.0 km) long, flowing undammed in a southerly direction through the Sierra National Forest. It is a tributary of the North Fork Kings River, in turn part of the Kings River system which drains into the de-watered Tulare Lake bed.
Dinkey Creek originates in the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness, along the Three Sisters peaks, at an elevation of 10,152 feet (3,094 m) above sea level. It initially flows southwest, dropping over Dinkey Falls, then turning south a short distance below Dinkey Dome. It then flows past the community of Dinkey Creek and receives its largest tributary, Deer Creek, from the left. The creek empties into the North Fork Kings River near Balch Camp, at an elevation of 1,240 feet (380 m).
The creek was named in 1863 by a group of hunters who were attacked there by a grizzly bear. The hunters' dog, Dinkey, tried to fight the bear, but was fatally injured. One of the men was then able to grab his gun and shoot the bear. They named the nearby stream Dinkey Creek to honor the dog's bravery.