Stillaguamish River | |
---|---|
The South Fork of the Stillaguamish River near Verlot | |
Location | |
Country | United States |
State | Washington |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | North Cascades |
• coordinates | 48°12′14″N122°7′38″W / 48.20389°N 122.12722°W [1] |
Mouth | Puget Sound |
• location | Port Susan |
• coordinates | 48°14′18″N122°22′38″W / 48.23833°N 122.37722°W [1] |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
Length | 67 mi (108 km) [2] |
Basin size | 700 sq mi (1,800 km2) |
The Stillaguamish River is a river in the northwestern region of the U.S. state of Washington. It is mainly composed of two forks, the longer North Fork Stillaguamish (45 miles (72 km)) and the South Fork Stillaguamish. The two forks join near Arlington. From there the Stillaguamish River proper flows for 22 miles (35 km) to Puget Sound. The river's watershed drains part of the Cascade Range north of Seattle.
The Stillaguamish River's name is derived from the Stillaguamish people, the Lushootseed-speaking people who had several villages along the river's course. Their name, Stillaguamish, is derived from their Lushootseed endonym, stuləgʷabš, meaning "river people." [3]
Variant spellings of the Stillaguamish River, according to the USGS, include Stoh-luk-whahmpsh River, Steilaguamish River, and Stalukahamish River.
The Stillaguamish River is formed from the confluence of the North and South Forks, both of which rise in the Cascades. Between the North and South forks there is a portion of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest called the Boulder River Wilderness.
The North Fork rises as several branches in a remote area of Skagit County near Finney Peak, approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Darrington. Collecting many tributary creeks, the river flows south, then west through the foothills along the Skagit-Snohomish county line. Tributaries of the North Fork Stillaguamish River include Boulder River and Deer Creek.
The South Fork (30 miles (48 km)) originates from the northern slopes of Del Campo Peak and Morning Star Peak in central Snohomish County, 20 miles (32 km) south of Darrington, and flows west and northwest by Silverton, Verlot, and Granite Falls.
The two forks unite at Arlington in northwestern Snohomish County. The combined stream flows west before it briefly splits again to encircle the town of Silvana.
The Stillaguamish bifurcates at its delta to form Florence Island before entering Puget Sound. [4] Hatt Slough flows southwest and is now the primary distributary of the Stillaguamish waters into Port Susan, having been diverted in the early twentieth century. The Old Stillaguamish River Channel flows northwest towards Florence and then Stanwood on an 8-mile meandering course. Near the Camano Island bridge this channel again splits, forming Leque Island, with the South Pass flowing into Port Susan and the West Pass emptying into the southern end of Skagit Bay. [5]
The Stillaguamish River and its tributaries are known for their salmon runs. Eight salmonid species use the streams for spawning, including Chinook, coho, chum, pink, and sockeye salmon, steelhead trout, sea-run cutthroat, and bull trout.
The north fork of the Stillaguamish river level is monitored by gauges operated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), [6] and river levels can vary by as much as 13 feet (4.0 m). The river level rises and falls very quickly, with the average north fork flood duration of eight hours. Of the five highest north fork flood levels on record, three have occurred since 2009. [7]
The Stillaguamish River is the center of Stillaguamish territory. For centuries, the Stillaguamish have fished and hunted and gathered all along its extent. The Stillaguamish had at least ten villages along its course, from its mouth to as far upriver as Hazel and Mt. Higgins (Lushootseed : sx̌ədəlwaʔs). [3] [8] [9] Other Indigenous peoples historically traveled to the Stillaguamish River to fish as well, including the Sauk, the Snohomish, and the Duwamish. [9] [10]
The 2014 Oso landslide occurred on the North Fork of the Stillaguamish.
On December 5, 2023, the river crested at 21.34 feet (6.50 m) near Arlington and set a new record amid regional floods. [11] [12]
Snohomish County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. With a population of 827,957 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous county in Washington, after nearby King and Pierce counties, and the 72nd-most populous in the United States. The county seat and largest city is Everett. The county forms part of the Seattle metropolitan area, which also includes King and Pierce counties to the south.
Arlington is a city in northern Snohomish County, Washington, United States, part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The city lies on the Stillaguamish River in the western foothills of the Cascade Range, adjacent to the city of Marysville. It is approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Everett, the county seat, and 40 miles (64 km) north of Seattle, the state's largest city. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Arlington had a population of 19,868; its estimated population is 20,075 as of 2021.
Darrington is a town in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located in a North Cascades mountain valley formed by the Sauk and North Fork Stillaguamish rivers. Darrington is connected to nearby areas by State Route 530, which runs along the two rivers towards the city of Arlington, located 30 miles (48 km) to the west, and Rockport. It had a population of 1,347 at the 2010 census.
Oso is a census-designated place (CDP) in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located to the west of Darrington, south of the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River and approximately 50 air miles (80 km) from Seattle. The population of Oso was 172 at the 2020 census. The area was the site of a large landslide in March 2014 that killed 43 people, the deadliest incident of its kind in U.S. history.
Stanwood is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The city is located 50 miles (80 km) north of Seattle, at the mouth of the Stillaguamish River near Camano Island. As of the 2020 census, its population is 7,705.
The Snoqualmie River is a 45-mile (72 km) long river in King County and Snohomish County in the U.S. state of Washington. The river's three main tributaries are the North, Middle, and South Forks, which drain the west side of the Cascade Mountains near the town of North Bend and join near the town of Snoqualmie just above the Snoqualmie Falls. After the falls the river flows north through rich farmland and the towns of Fall City, Carnation, and Duvall before meeting the Skykomish River to form the Snohomish River near Monroe. The Snohomish River empties into Puget Sound at Everett. Other tributaries of the Snoqualmie River include the Taylor River and the Pratt River, both of which enter the Middle Fork, the Tolt River, which joins at Carnation, and the Raging River at Fall City.
The Stillaguamish people are a Southern Coast Salish people Indigenous to the Stillaguamish River valley in northwestern Washington State in the United States, near the city of Arlington, Washington. The Stillaguamish speak Northern Lushootseed, a Coast Salish language. Although usage of the language has declined, there are ongoing revitalization efforts by the Stillaguamish Tribe.
The Sauk-SuiattleIndian Tribe is a federally-recognized tribe of Sauk people located in western Washington state. The tribe historically lived along the banks of the Sauk, Suiattle, Cascade, Stillaguamish, and Skagit rivers, in the area known as Sauk Prairie at the foot of Whitehorse Mountain in the North Cascade Range.
Glacier Peak or Dakobed is the most isolated of the five major stratovolcanoes of the Cascade Volcanic Arc in the U.S state of Washington. Located in the Glacier Peak Wilderness in Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest, the volcano is visible from the west in Seattle, and from the north in the higher areas of eastern suburbs of Vancouver such as Coquitlam, New Westminster and Port Coquitlam. The volcano is the fourth tallest peak in Washington state, and not as much is known about it compared to other volcanoes in the area. Local Native Americans have recognized Glacier Peak and other Washington volcanoes in their histories and stories. When American explorers reached the region, they learned basic information about surrounding landforms, but did not initially understand that Glacier Peak was a volcano. Positioned in Snohomish County, the volcano is only 70 miles (110 km) northeast of downtown Seattle. From locations in northern Seattle and northward, Glacier Peak is closer than the more famous Mount Rainier (Tahoma), but as Glacier Peak is set farther into the Cascades and almost 4,000 feet (1,200 m) shorter, it is much less noticeable than Mount Rainier.
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.
The Sauk River is a tributary of the Skagit River, approximately 45 miles (72 km) long, in northwestern Washington in the United States. It drains an area of the high Cascade Range in the watershed of Puget Sound north of Seattle. The river is a popular destination for fly fishing. It is a National Wild and Scenic River.
The Tolt River is located in the western foothills of the Cascade Mountains in north central King County in the U.S. state of Washington. The river begins at the confluence of the North Fork Tolt and South Fork Tolt rivers. It flows southwest joining the Snoqualmie River near Carnation, Washington. The Tolt River watershed is part of the larger Snohomish River and Puget Sound drainage basin.
The Baker River is an approximately 30-mile (48 km), southward-flowing tributary of the Skagit River in northwestern Washington in the United States. It drains an area of the high North Cascades in the watershed of Puget Sound north of Seattle, and east of Mount Baker. With a watershed of approximately 270 square miles (700 km2) in a complex of deep valleys partially inside North Cascades National Park, it is the last major tributary of the Skagit before the larger river reaches its mouth on Skagit Bay. The river flows through Concrete, Washington, near its mouth and has two hydroelectric dams owned by Puget Sound Energy.
The Mountain Loop Highway is a scenic byway in the U.S. state of Washington. It traverses the western section of the Cascade Range within Snohomish County. The name suggests it forms a full loop, but it only is a small portion of a loop, which is completed using State Routes 92, 9, and 530. Part of the highway is also a designated and signed Forest Highway, and is known as Forest Route 20.
State Route 530 (SR 530) is a state highway in western Washington, United States. It serves Snohomish and Skagit counties, traveling 50.52 miles (81.30 km) from an interchange with Interstate 5 (I-5) southwest of Arlington past SR 9 in Arlington and Darrington to end at SR 20 in Rockport. Serving the communities of Arlington, Arlington Heights, Oso, Darrington and Rockport, the roadway travels parallel to a fork of the Stillaguamish River from Arlington to Darrington, the Sauk River from Darrington to Rockport and the Whitehorse Trail from Arlington to Darrington.
The Snohomish County Centennial Trail is a 30-mile-long (48 km) rail trail in Snohomish County, Washington, connecting the cities of Snohomish, Lake Stevens, and Arlington to Skagit County along the corridor of Washington State Route 9. The trail, administered by Snohomish County Parks and Recreation, is on the former right-of-way of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway and comprises a 10-foot-wide (3.0 m) non-motorized trail and a 6-foot-wide (1.8 m) equestrian trail. The first segment of the corridor was opened in 1989, the centennial of the statehood of Washington, and the final segment between Arlington and the Skagit County line was opened in 2013.
The Suiattle River is a river in the northern Cascade Mountains of western Washington, United States. It is a tributary of the Sauk River and by extension the Skagit River. Its source is located between Suiattle Glacier and Honeycomb Glacier on Glacier Peak, at an elevation of around 7,000 ft (2,100 m) above sea level. It descends through a 60-mile (97 km) course, lying mainly within the Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest. It meets the Sauk northeast of Darrington, Washington, at an elevation of 400 ft (120 m). Snowmelt from Chocolate and Dusty Glacier gives the river silty water, with a suspended load over twice that of the upper Sauk or adjacent White Chuck.
A major landslide occurred 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Oso, Washington, United States, on March 22, 2014, at 10:37 a.m. local time. A portion of an unstable hill collapsed, sending mud and debris to the south across the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River, engulfing a rural neighborhood, and covering an area of approximately 1 square mile (2.6 km2). Forty-three people were killed and 49 homes and other structures destroyed. The landslide has been described as one of, if not the most, deadly landslide in American history.
The Whitehorse Trail is a rail trail in northern Snohomish County, Washington, connecting the cities of Arlington and Darrington. The 27-mile-long (43 km) trail uses a former Northern Pacific Railway spur built in 1901 and abandoned in 1990. The trail has been in development since the county government purchased it in 1993, with some sections open to the public.
Florence Island is the main island formed by the diked river delta of the Stillaguamish River as it flows into Port Susan on Puget Sound.