Dinkey Creek (California)

Dinkey Creek is a large stream in the southern Sierra Nevada, in Fresno County, California. The creek is 29.2 mi 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 10152 ft 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 1240 ft.

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.

Dinkey Creek Hydroelectric Project
A hydroelectric project was proposed by the Kings River Conservation District (KRCD) in 1978 on Dinkey Creek, but was canceled just two months before the start of construction in 1986 because PG&E withdrew from the power purchase agreement. That was caused in part by delays caused by environmental litigation challenging parts of the plan, as well as a dispute between PG&E and the California Public Utilities Commission over related environmental issues.

The KRCD's "Dinkey Creek Hydroelectric Project" would have consisted of a 380 ft high rock fill dam with a spillway at elevation 5710 ft, a 90000 acre feet reservoir, and two separate 60 megawatt power stations. Construction would have also included 7.9 mi of power tunnels, and four vertical shafts, and a 4.5 mi  long diversion tunnel in hard, massive, granitic rock. The Dinkey Creek Inn in the community of Dinkey Creek is also located at 5710 ft elevation. According to the Bureau of Reclamation; "Adverse environmental impacts would be expected in all categories assessed—botany, wildlife, aquatic biology and water quality, recreation, and land use. In particular, a reservoir at Dinkey Creek would fundamentally alter the existing recreation-based community."