American River | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | United States |
State | Washington |
Region | Yakima County |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Cascade Range |
• coordinates | 46°49′10″N121°27′36″W / 46.81944°N 121.46000°W [1] |
• elevation | 5,241 ft (1,597 m) [2] |
Mouth | Bumping River |
• coordinates | 46°58′31″N121°9′24″W / 46.97528°N 121.15667°W [1] |
• elevation | 2,765 ft (843 m) [2] |
Length | 20 mi (32 km) [1] |
Discharge | |
• location | USGS gage 12488500 at river mile 0.5 [3] |
• average | 233 cu ft/s (6.6 m3/s) [3] |
• minimum | 15 cu ft/s (0.42 m3/s) |
• maximum | 6,280 cu ft/s (178 m3/s) |
The American River is a tributary of the Bumping River in Washington. It flows down the east side of the Cascade Range, through Wenatchee National Forest and the William O. Douglas Wilderness.
The American River is part of the Columbia River basin, via the Bumping, Naches, and Yakima rivers.
From its source at American Lake, it flows north for several miles, picking up its tributary the Rainier Fork American River, which flows east down from the vicinity of Chinook Pass. State Route 410 crossing Chinook Pass from Mount Rainier National Park, then follows the Rainier Fork and the American River valleys.
After its confluence with Rainier Fork, the American River flows through Pleasant Valley. It joins the Bumping River within the American Forks Campground.
An early name for the American River was Miners Creek. According to historian Gretta Gossett, the river was renamed for the American River in California, "by hopeful miners". [4]
The Chehalis River is a river in Washington in the United States. It originates in several forks in southwestern Washington, flows east, then north, then west, in a large curve, before emptying into Grays Harbor, an estuary of the Pacific Ocean. The river is the largest solely contained drainage basin in the state.
The White River is a white, glacial river in the U.S. state of Washington. It flows about 75 miles (121 km) from its source, the Emmons Glacier on Mount Rainier, to join the Puyallup River at Sumner. It defines part of the boundary between King and Pierce counties.
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The Bumping River is a tributary of the Naches River, in Washington in the United States. It flows down the east side of the Cascade Range, through Wenatchee National Forest and the William O. Douglas Wilderness. From its source at Fish Lake near Crag Mountain, it flows northeast to Bumping Lake, a natural lake enlarged and regulated by Bumping Lake Dam. Below the dam, the Bumping River continues flowing northeast. It is joined by the American River, its main tributary, a few miles above its mouth where it joins the Little Naches River to form the Naches River.
The Sol Duc River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. About 78 miles (126 km) long, it flows west through the northwest part of the Olympic Peninsula, from the Olympic Mountains of Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest, then through the broad Sol Duc Valley. Near the Pacific Ocean the Sol Duc River joins the Bogachiel River, forming the Quillayute River, which flows about 4 miles (6.4 km) to the Pacific Ocean at La Push. Although the Quillayute River is short, its large tributary rivers—the Sol Duc, Bogachiel, Calawah, and Dickey Rivers—drain the largest watershed of the northern Olympic Peninsula, 629 square miles (1,630 km2). The Sol Duc's watershed is the largest of the Quillayute's tributaries, at 219 square miles (570 km2).
The Teanaway River is a tributary of the Yakima River, in the U.S. state of Washington. It flows into the Yakima River near Cle Elum. The Teanaway River is part of the Columbia River basin, being a tributary of the Yakima River, which is a tributary to the Columbia River. The river's name comes from Sahaptin, possibly /tyawnawí-ins/, "drying place".
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The Satsop River is a stream in the U.S. state of Washington. It has three main tributary forks, the East Fork, West Fork, and Middle Fork Satsop Rivers. The main stem Satsop River is formed by the confluence of the West and East Forks. The Middle Fork is a tributary of the East Fork. The three forks are much longer than the main stem Satsop itself, which flows south from the confluence only a few miles to join the Chehalis River near Satsop, Washington. Other significant tributaries include the Canyon River and Little River, both tributaries of the West Fork Satsop, and Decker Creek, a tributary of the East Fork Satsop River. The Satsop River's major tributaries originate in the Olympic Mountains and its southern foothills, the Satsop Hills, within Grays Harbor and Mason counties. Most of the Satsop River's watershed consists of heavily wooded hill lands. The upper tributaries extend into Olympic National Forest, approaching but not quite reaching Olympic National Park.
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