Alpowa Creek

Alpowa Creek is a stream in Garfield and Asotin Counties, southeastern Washington. It starts near Peola, about 10 miles (16 km) south of Pomeroy, in the foothills of the northern Blue Mountains just outside the Umatilla National Forest. It initially flows north through farmland before descending northeast into a canyon, flanked to the north by Alpowa Ridge and to the south by Knotgrass Ridge. It receives Stember Creek from the left; downstream of there, U.S. Highway 12 runs parallel to it. It empties into the Snake River at Lower Granite Lake, the impoundment formed by Lower Granite Dam, about 8 miles (13 km) to the west of Clarkston.

Alpowa Creek
Location of the mouth of Alpowa Creek in Washington
Location
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Garfield, Asotin
Physical characteristics
Source	Blue Mountains
• location	near Peola
• coordinates	46°17′49″N 117°29′37″W
Mouth	Snake River
• location	West of Lewiston/Clarkston
• coordinates	46°25′16″N 117°12′15″W
• elevation	738 ft (225 m)
Length	25.1 mi (40.4 km)

The creek's name derives from the Nez Perce Alpahwah or Elpawawe meaning "a spring forming a creek", which was the name of a Nez Perce village that once stood at the confluence of Alpowa Creek and the Snake River. The creek supports a minor population of Snake River steelhead trout. Due to the impacts of livestock grazing and water diversion for agriculture, it has been designated a priority restoration reach by the Snake River Salmon Recovery Board.

See also

• List of rivers of Washington
• Indian Timothy Memorial Bridge