Course of the Klamath River

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The Klamath River is a river in southern Oregon and northern California in the United States. This article describes its course.

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Oregon

Mount Shasta rises above the Klamath River's watershed. Klamath Falls6.jpg
Mount Shasta rises above the Klamath River's watershed.

The Klamath River's drainage basin above Upper Klamath Lake is fed primarily by the Williamson River and the Sprague River, which stretch into south-central Oregon east of the Cascades. The official beginning of the 263-mile (423 km) long river is at the outlet of Upper Klamath Lake, a large and artificially expanded lake east of the Cascade Range. Above Upper Klamath Lake, several streams drain south and southeast from the Cascades to form Agency Lake, which is connected to Upper Klamath Lake. After flowing out of the Bureau of Reclamation-built dam, the river flows into a 1-mile (1.6 km) stretch known as the Link River, past the city of Klamath Falls and into Lake Ewauna, a 20-mile (32 km)-long reservoir. The Lost River enters from the left via a series of agricultural ditches and canals (formerly, all of its water emptied into Tule Lake). It crosses under Oregon State Route 97 twice, once upstream of and once downstream of Oregon Route 140, and continues west through an agricultural valley to Keno. At Keno the river veers sharply south and passes through the Keno Dam, which forms Lake Ewauna, 240 miles (390 km) from the mouth, [1] passing the now-drained Lower Klamath Lake. [2] [3] [4]

The Klamath enters a narrow gorge and runs northeast, then enters the J.C. Boyle Reservoir, formed by the John C. Boyle Dam, and passes through the gates of the dam 231 miles (372 km) from the mouth. After flowing out of the rockfill structure, the river heads south and plunges rapidly into a narrow and deep gorge about 800 feet (240 m) deep and 2,300 feet (700 m) wide. After flowing a few miles through this narrow gorge, it widens into a rugged valley and turns west-southwest, crossing the Oregon-California border. Butte Creek comes in from the south. After crossing the border, the river turns sharply south, diverges around a small island, and receives Edge Creek from the right. The river then flows into Copco Lake, formed by the Copco Dam. Exiting the dam 200 miles (320 km) from the mouth, the river bends sharply north then south around a ridge and receives Fall Creek from the right as it passes the town of Copco. [2] [3] There are proposals to remove all four dams by 2020. [5]

Far northern California

The river then enters Iron Gate Reservoir, 196.8 miles (316.7 km) from the mouth. [6] The river receives Jenny Creek, a much larger tributary, which is formed by streams draining out of Howard Prairie Lake nearly 20 miles (32 km) to the north. The reservoir bends south and the Klamath flows away through Iron Gate Dam, 190 miles (310 km) from the mouth. The river then swings west and passes through an arid valley used for farming and ranching. Near Hornbrook the river receives Hutton Creek from the right and turns sharply south as it meets Interstate 5.The river then veers west again as it receives the Shasta River, which flows north from the Mount Shasta area, from the left. California State Route 96 drops into the canyon and begins to parallel the river, some 180 miles (290 km) from the mouth. [2] [3]

Lower Klamath Lake seen today under heavy fog Lower Klamath Lake.jpg
Lower Klamath Lake seen today under heavy fog

Flowing through its narrow canyon, the river receives Beaver Creek from the right, 170 miles (270 km) from the mouth, as it passes the small hamlet of Klamath River from the south. It then turns west, and with the massive bulk of Dry Lake Mountain looming to the north, the river receives Horse Creek from the right after passing the town of the same name. It then turns south and then west, whipsawing through an increasingly narrow gorge, and receives the Scott River from the left and passes Hamburg, 150 miles (240 km) from the mouth. The river then passes Seiad Valley and receives Seiad Creek from the right and Grider Creek from the left, 141 miles (227 km) from the mouth. The river then enters another narrower gorge and passes Fort Goff before dropping over a series of rapids. [2] [3]

The river rounds a bend southward, then twists sharply northward, southwest and southeast around a ridge as it receives China Creek from the left, 135 miles (217 km) from the mouth. The river then again bends southwest, then curves northward, diverges around two islands, then swings east and finally southwest around another ridge as it enters a wider valley and passes the town of Happy Camp, 130 miles (210 km) from the mouth. Receiving wide, shallow Indian Creek from the right, the Klamath then bends southwest into a narrow gorge, still paralleling State Route 96. The river passes Clear Creek 85 miles (137 km) from the mouth and receives the creek of the same name as it begins to flow south-southeast; a little farther on, it receives Independence Creek from the left, then bends west as it receives King Creek from the left. [2] [3]

Now incised into a narrow channel and meandering around sandbars and gravel bars, the river drops over rapid after rapid and turns south as it receives Dillon Creek from the right, 78 miles (126 km) from the mouth. Ti Creek enters from the left and Rock Creek from the right as the river continues to flow south through a steep and narrow gorge, cutting through the Cascade Range itself. The valley of the Klamath gradually transitions from an arid high desert to a temperate rainforest climate. It drops over Ishi Pishi Falls, a historical Native American fishing spot, and receives the Salmon River, its most powerful tributary thus far, from the left, 50 miles (80 km) from the mouth. Here it rounds a small ridge, then turns southwest and passes the town of Orleans, 45 miles (72 km) from the mouth. The river then bends north, west and south around another ridge, receives Boise Creek from the left and Slate Creek and Bluff Creek from the right, 28 miles (45 km) from the mouth. [2] [3]

Weitchpec to mouth

The Klamath rounds a northerly bend around Burrill Peak, passing Weitchpec as it turns northwestward on the beginning of its final run to the sea. At Weitchpec, the river receives its largest and most important tributary, the Trinity River, from the south (left), 30 miles (48 km) from the mouth. A vital contributor to the flow of the lower Klamath, the Trinity drains 2,853 square miles (7,390 km2) in the Cascade Range south of the Klamath and Salmon rivers. [7] More than 90 percent of its flow is diverted at Trinity Lake - leaving the most important tributaries below the dam, the North Fork, South Fork, and the New River to replenish it. [1] At Weitchpec, State Route 96 turns away from the Klamath and runs south up the Trinity, and its role along the Klamath is replaced by California State Route 169. After collecting the Trinity, the Klamath turns north-northwest and receives Pine Creek and Tully Creek from the left. [2] [3]

The Klamath approaching its mouth, near the Turwar Creek confluence Klamath at Terwer.JPG
The Klamath approaching its mouth, near the Turwar Creek confluence

Twisting westwards, then again north, the Klamath passes the town of Johnsons, 20 miles (32 km) from the mouth. State Route 169 terminates at Johnsons, and for the remainder of its course, the Klamath flows through a wild canyon nearly untouched by human intervention. It diverges around a large sandy island, and receives Ah Pah Creek from the left and Blue Creek from the right, 12 miles (19 km) from the mouth. This area was originally intended to be the site of a massive storage dam, Ah Pah Dam. The river flows north through an increasingly wide valley, then passes the town of Klamath Glen, where State Route 169 resumes. The river meanders north and then veers west, crossing under U.S. Highway 101 and passing the towns of Klamath and Requa. All three towns are on the right bank of the river. Less than a mile downstream of this point, the Klamath empties into the sea, 16 miles (26 km) south of Point St. George and 30 miles (48 km) north of Trinidad Head. [2] [3] [8]

Much of the middle course of the river in California is within the Klamath National Forest. The lower course of the river, in northern Humboldt County and southern Del Norte County, passes through the homeland of the Karuk Tribe and the Yurok Indian Reservation. An 11-mile (18 km) stretch of the river in Oregon south of Klamath Falls to the California–Oregon border, including the Hell's Corner Gorge, has been designated as the Klamath Wild and Scenic River. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klamath River</span> River in Oregon and California, United States

The Klamath River flows 257 miles (414 km) through Oregon and northern California in the United States, emptying into the Pacific Ocean. By average discharge, the Klamath is the second largest river in California after the Sacramento River. It drains an extensive watershed of almost 16,000 square miles (41,000 km2) that stretches from the arid country of south-central Oregon to the temperate rainforest of the Pacific coast. Unlike most rivers, the Klamath begins in the high desert and flows toward the mountains – carving its way through the rugged Cascade Range and Klamath Mountains before reaching the sea. The upper basin, today used for farming and ranching, once contained vast freshwater marshes that provided habitat for abundant wildlife, including millions of migratory birds. Most of the lower basin remains wild, with much of it designated wilderness. The watershed is known for this peculiar geography, and the Klamath has been called "a river upside down" by National Geographic magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandy River (Oregon)</span> River in Oregon, United States

The Sandy River is a 56-mile (90 km) tributary of the Columbia River in northwestern Oregon in the United States. The Sandy joins the Columbia about 14 miles (23 km) upstream of Portland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clackamas River</span> River in Oregon, United States

The Clackamas River is an approximately 83-mile (134 km) tributary of the Willamette River in northwestern Oregon, in the United States. Draining an area of about 940 square miles (2,435 km2), the Clackamas flows through mostly forested and rugged mountainous terrain in its upper reaches, and passes agricultural and urban areas in its lower third. The river rises in eastern Marion County, about 55 miles (89 km) east-southeast of Salem. The headwaters are on the slopes of Olallie Butte in the Mount Hood National Forest, about 10 miles (16 km) north of Mount Jefferson, at an elevation of 4,909 feet (1,496 m) in the Cascade Range. The Clackamas flows briefly north and then flows northwest through the mountains, passing through North Fork Reservoir and Estacada. It then emerges from the mountains southeast of Portland. It joins the Willamette near Oregon City and forms the boundary between Oregon City and Gladstone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McKenzie River (Oregon)</span> Mckenzie Blue River

The McKenzie River is a 90-mile (145 km) tributary of the Willamette River in western Oregon in the United States. It drains part of the Cascade Range east of Eugene and flows westward into the southernmost end of the Willamette Valley. It is named for Donald McKenzie, a Scottish Canadian fur trader who explored parts of the Pacific Northwest for the Pacific Fur Company in the early 19th century. As of the 21st century, six large dams have been built on the McKenzie and its tributaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shasta River</span> River in California, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lost River (California)</span> River in California and Oregon, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skagit River</span> River in Canada and the United States

The Skagit River is a river in southwestern British Columbia in Canada and northwestern Washington in the United States, approximately 150 mi (240 km) long. The river and its tributaries drain an area of 1.7 million acres (690,000 hectares) of the Cascade Range along the northern end of Puget Sound and flows into the sound.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klamath Basin</span> Region in the U.S. states of Oregon and California drained by the Klamath River

The Klamath Basin is the region in the U.S. states of Oregon and California drained by the Klamath River. It contains most of Klamath County and parts of Lake and Jackson counties in Oregon, and parts of Del Norte, Humboldt, Modoc, Siskiyou, and Trinity counties in California. The 15,751-square-mile (40,790 km2) drainage basin is 35% in Oregon and 65% in California. In Oregon, the watershed typically lies east of the Cascade Range, while California contains most of the river's segment that passes through the mountains. In the Oregon-far northern California segment of the river, the watershed is semi-desert at lower elevations and dry alpine in the upper elevations. In the western part of the basin, in California, however, the climate is more of temperate rainforest, and the Trinity River watershed consists of a more typical alpine climate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umatilla River</span> River in Oregon, United States

The Umatilla River is an 89-mile (143 km) tributary of the Columbia River in northern Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Draining a basin of 2,450 square miles (6,300 km2), it enters the Columbia near the city of Umatilla in the northeastern part of the state. In downstream order, beginning at the headwaters, major tributaries of the Umatilla River are the North Fork Umatilla River and the South Fork Umatilla River, then Meacham, McKay, Birch, and Butter creeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue River (Oregon)</span> Tributary of the McKenzie River in Linn and Lane counties in the U.S. state of Oregon

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matilija Creek</span> River in California, United States of America

Matilija Creek is a major stream in Ventura County in the U.S. state of California. It joins with North Fork Matilija Creek to form the Ventura River. Many tributaries feed the mostly free flowing, 17.3-mile (27.8 km) creek, which is largely contained in the Matilija Wilderness. Matilija was one of the Chumash rancherias under the jurisdiction of Mission San Buenaventura. The meaning of the Chumash name is unknown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Course of the Rogue River (Oregon)</span> River in Oregon, United States

The Rogue River in the U.S. state of Oregon begins at Boundary Springs on the border between Klamath and Douglas counties near the northern edge of Crater Lake National Park. The Rogue River flows generally west for 215 miles (346 km) from the Cascade Range through the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest and the Klamath Mountains to the Pacific Ocean at Gold Beach. Communities along its course include Union Creek, Prospect, Trail, Shady Cove, Gold Hill, and Rogue River, all in Jackson County; Grants Pass, and Galice in Josephine County, and Agness, Wedderburn and Gold Beach in Curry County. Significant tributaries include the South Fork Rogue River, Elk Creek, Bear Creek, the Applegate River, and the Illinois River. Arising at 5,320 feet (1,622 m) above sea level, the river loses more than 1 mile (1.6 km) in elevation by the time it reaches the Pacific.

The South Fork Rogue River is a 25-mile (40 km) tributary of the Rogue River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Rising in the Sky Lakes Wilderness in the Cascade Range, it flows generally northeast through the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest to meet the Rogue River downstream of Prospect and slightly upstream of Lost Creek Lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Fork Eel River</span> River in north-central California

The South Fork Eel River is the largest tributary of the Eel River in north-central California in the United States. The river flows 105 miles (169 km) north from Laytonville to Dyerville/Founders' Grove where it joins the Eel River. The South Fork drains a long and narrow portion of the Coast Range of California in parts of Mendocino and Humboldt counties. U.S. Route 101 follows the river for much of its length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klamath Diversion</span>

The Klamath Diversion was a federal water project proposed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in the 1950s. It would have diverted the Klamath River in Northern California to the more arid central and southern parts of that state. It would relieve irrigation water demand and groundwater overdraft in the Central Valley and boost the water supply for Southern California. Through the latter it would allow for other Southwestern states—Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah—as well as Mexico to receive an increased share of the waters of the Colorado River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Fork American River</span> Tributary of the river in Northern California

The North Fork American River is the longest branch of the American River in Northern California. It is 88 miles (142 km) long from its source at the crest of the Sierra Nevada, near Lake Tahoe, to its mouth at Folsom Lake northeast of Sacramento. Prior to the construction of Folsom Dam the river was about 9 miles (14 km) longer making for a total length of 97 miles (156 km).

Copco Lake is an artificial lake on the Klamath River in Siskiyou County, California, near the Oregon border in the United States. The lake's waters are impounded by the Copco Number 1 Dam, which was completed in 1922. COPCO was an acronym referring to the California Oregon Power Company, which merged into Pacific Power and Light in 1961, and is now known as Pacificorp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Fork McKenzie River</span> River in Oregon, United States

The South Fork McKenzie River is a tributary, about 31 miles (50 km) long, of the McKenzie River in the U.S. state of Oregon. It begins at about 4,500 feet (1,400 m) above sea level near Mink Lake in the Three Sisters Wilderness of the Cascade Range. Flowing northwest within Lane County, it meets the McKenzie River about 60 miles (97 km) from the larger river's confluence with the Willamette River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John C. Boyle Reservoir</span> Artificial impoundment in the U.S. state of Oregon

John C. Boyle Reservoir is an artificial impoundment behind John C. Boyle Dam on the Klamath River in the U.S. state of Oregon. The lake is 16 miles (26 km) west-southwest of Klamath Falls along Oregon Route 66.

References

  1. 1 2 "Klamath River Basin Issues and Activities: An Overview" (PDF). California Department of Energy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-23. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Klamath River Dam and Sediment Investigation" (PDF). Yurok Tribe of California. www.yuroktribe.org. November 2006. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 BEST and WSTB, p.27
  4. ↑ "Ground-Water Hydrology of the Upper Klamath Basin, Oregon and California". Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5050. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
  5. ↑ "Klamath River, Oregon and California". American Rivers. Archived from the original on 2010-03-27. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  6. ↑ "Iron Gate Reservoir: Reservoir Location and Characteristics" (PDF). PacifiCorp Klamath Hydroelectric Project. www.pacificorp.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2003-08-24. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  7. ↑ National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Hydrology, Ecology, and Fishes of the Klamath River (2008). Hydrology, Ecology and Fishes of the Klamath River Basin. National Academies Press. p. 31. ISBN   978-0-309-11506-3 . Retrieved May 19, 2010.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ UCGS, p. 303
  9. ↑ Palmer, p. 141

Works cited

41°31′59″N124°04′52″W / 41.5330600°N 124.0811300°W / 41.5330600; -124.0811300
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