Bear Creek (Lushootseed: tubaʔal) is a tributary of the Sammamish River in King County, Washington, United States. The stream flows approximately 12.4 miles (20.0 km) from its source at Paradise Lake near Maltby to a confluence with the Sammamish River at Marymoor Park in Redmond. The creek has two tributaries, Cottage Lake Creek and Evans Creek, and a watershed of 32,100 acres (13,000 ha).[2]
| Bear Creek[1] | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location of the mouth of Bear Creek in Washington  Bear Creek (Washington) (the United States) | |
| Native name | tubaʔal (Lushootseed) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Paradise Lake |
| • coordinates | 47°45′49″N 122°03′32″W / 47.76361°N 122.05889°W |
| Mouth | |
• location | Confluence with Sammamish River |
• coordinates | 47°40′05″N 122°07′35″W / 47.66806°N 122.12639°W |
• elevation | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
| Basin size | 32,100 acres (13,000 ha) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Sammamish—Lake Washington |
The Lushootseed name of the creek, tubaʔal, means "used to be wide".[3]
The earliest human occupation in the vicinity of the creek dates back at least 12,000 years. An archaeological site found in 2008 had artifacts dating between 10,000-12,500 years, revealing the first tool-making site at least 10,000 years old found in Washington state. Some tools found at the site held DNA from ice-age animals such as bison, deer, bear, sheep, and salmon. The people of that time were the ancestors of modern tribes, such as the Muckleshoot, Snoqualmie, Tulalip, and Stillaguamish.[4] Nearby, the Marymoor Prehistoric Indian Site in Redmond shows human occupation in the vicinity of the creek with artifacts on its banks dating to 4,000 BCE.[citation needed]
From 2009-2013, the city of Redmond constructed the first phase of revitalization of the creek. The project hopes to return the industrialized creek to a "more natural state" in order to support salmon habitat and other wildlife.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Bear Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- ^ "Stream Report: Bear Creek". King County Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- ^ Waterman, T.T. (2001). Hilbert, Vi; Miller, Jay; Zahir, Zalmai (eds.). sdaʔdaʔ gʷəɬ dibəɬ ləšucid ʔacaciɬtalbixʷ - Puget Sound Geography. Original Manuscript from T.T. Waterman. Lushootseed Press. pp. 110, 112. ISBN 979-8750945764.
- ^ a b "Significance of the Bear Creek Site". Redmond, Washington. Retrieved 2024-08-16.