Ahtanum Creek
| Ahtanum Creek | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| Region | Yakima County |
| Cities | Union Gap, Ahtanum & Tampico |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Near Tampico, Yakima County, Washington, United States |
| • coordinates | 46°31′23″N 120°51′15″W / 46.52306°N 120.85417°W |
| • elevation | 2,027 ft (618 m) |
| Mouth | Yakima River |
• location | Union Gap, Yakima County, Washington, United States |
• coordinates | 46°31′51″N 120°28′23″W / 46.53083°N 120.47306°W |
• elevation | 950 ft (290 m) |
| Basin size | 173 sq mi (450 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Union Gap |
| • average | 76.5 cu ft/s (2.17 m3/s) |
| • minimum | 3.5 cu ft/s (0.099 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 3,100 cu ft/s (88 m3/s) |
Ahtanum Creek is a tributary of the Yakima River in the U.S. state of Washington. It starts at the confluence of the Middle and North Forks of Ahtanum Creek near Tampico, flows along the north base of Ahtanum Ridge, ends at the Yakima River near Union Gap and forms a portion of the northern boundary of the Yakama Indian Reservation. The name Ahtanum originates from the Sahaptin language, which was spoken by Native Americans in the region.
The North Fork enters the Middle Fork just upstream from its confluence with the South Fork. These three forks have sources in the Cascade Mountains. The creek has had several different official names since Europeans settled the region, all of which have been variant spellings of Ahtanum. The current spelling has been in place since 1916. Seasonal flooding associated with snow melting in the spring is common.