Abiqua Creek
| Abiqua Creek | |
|---|---|
Abiqua Creek from Oregon Route 214 | |
| Etymology | Possibly from a Kalapuyan word for "hazelnut" |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Marion |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Cascade Range foothills |
| • coordinates | 44°52′32″N 122°24′29″W / 44.87556°N 122.40806°W |
| • elevation | 3,331 ft (1,015 m) |
| Mouth | Pudding River |
• location | near Silverton |
• coordinates | 45°02′10″N 122°49′56″W / 45.03611°N 122.83222°W |
• elevation | 154 ft (47 m) |
| Length | 29 mi (47 km) |
| Basin size | 78 sq mi (200 km2) |
Abiqua Creek (/ˈæbɪkwə/ AB-ih-kwə) is a tributary of the Pudding River in the U.S. state of Oregon. The creek originates near Lookout Mountain in the foothills of the Cascade Range in the northwestern part of the state. It flows northwest for about 29 miles (47 km) to its confluence with the Pudding, about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Silverton, in the Willamette Valley. About 20 miles (32 km) north of Silverton, the Pudding River meets the Molalla River, which meets the Willamette River less than 1 mile (1.6 km) later near Canby.
The creek is the main source of drinking water for Silverton, which operates a diversion dam upstream. The city, the Pudding River Watershed Council, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife are working to improve fish passage on the creek and are studying the effectiveness of the dam's fish ladder. Abiqua Creek has historically supported the largest steelhead spawning populations in the Pudding River watershed.