Little Mashel River

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Little Mashel River
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Location of the mouth of the Little Mashel River in Washington
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Little Mashel River (the US)
Location
Country United States
State Washington
County Pierce County
City Eatonville, Washington
Physical characteristics
SourceAn unnamed lake
 - location Cascade Range, Pierce County, Washington
 - coordinates 46°47′34″N122°8′52″W / 46.79278°N 122.14778°W / 46.79278; -122.14778
 - elevation2,830 ft (860 m) [1]
Mouth Mashel River
 - location
Near Eatonville, Washington, Pierce County
 - coordinates
46°47′34″N122°08′52″W / 46.79278°N 122.14778°W / 46.79278; -122.14778 Coordinates: 46°47′34″N122°08′52″W / 46.79278°N 122.14778°W / 46.79278; -122.14778
 - elevation
710 ft (220 m) [2]

The Little Mashel River is a river in Pierce County, Washington. It is a tributary of the Mashel River, and enters the Mashel just 380 feet (116 m) downstream from the Eatonville, Washington, city limits. It is noted for its canyon and the three waterfalls.

River Natural flowing watercourse

A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of water. Small rivers can be referred to using names such as stream, creek, brook, rivulet, and rill. There are no official definitions for the generic term river as applied to geographic features, although in some countries or communities a stream is defined by its size. Many names for small rivers are specific to geographic location; examples are "run" in some parts of the United States, "burn" in Scotland and northeast England, and "beck" in northern England. Sometimes a river is defined as being larger than a creek, but not always: the language is vague.

Pierce County, Washington County in the United States

Pierce County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 795,225, making it the second-most populous county in Washington behind King County. The county seat and largest city is Tacoma. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory, it was named for U.S. President Franklin Pierce. Pierce County is in the Seattle metropolitan area.

Washington (state) State of the United States of America

Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Named for George Washington, the first president of the United States, the state was made out of the western part of the Washington Territory, which was ceded by Britain in 1846 in accordance with the Oregon Treaty in the settlement of the Oregon boundary dispute. It was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. Olympia is the state capital; the state's largest city is Seattle. Washington is sometimes referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States.

Contents

Course

The Little Mashel begins in a small, unnamed lake located about 7.6 miles (12 km) southeast of Eatonville, Washington. Upon exiting the lake, the river, very small at this point, flows northeast for about .3 miles (483 m) before turning northwest for about 5.7 miles (9 km), merging with South Fork Little Mashel River about 4.9 miles (8 km) along the way. There, the river briefly turns southwest, picks up the waters of its only named tributary, Midway Creek, and then turns northwest again. It flows that way for another 1.2 miles (2 km) or so until its confluence with the Mashel. A short canyon that sees the river drop over three large, often visited waterfalls lies about .6 miles (966 m) above its mouth.

Eatonville, Washington Town in Washington, United States

Eatonville is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. It is 51 mi (82 km) south of Seattle. The population was 2,758 at the 2010 census. The town motto is "Better Together"

Waterfall Place where water flows over a vertical drop in the course of a river

A waterfall is an area where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops in the course of a stream or river. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.

South Fork

The South Fork Little Mashel River begins about 1 mile (1,609 m) west of the lake the main fork begins in and flows northwest for about 4.1 miles (7 km) until it merges with the main fork of the Little Mashel not far upstream from where Midway Creek meets the Little Mashel.

See also

The Little Mashel River Waterfalls are the 3 waterfalls contained within the gorge of the Little Mashel River, not far above its confluence with the Mashel River.

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References

  1. Source elevation derived from Google Earth.
  2. Mouth elevation derived from Google Earth.