Sultan River

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Sultan River
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The Sultan River a few miles downstream of Culmback Dam near a USGS stream gauge and a diversion dam
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The Sultan River highlighted on a map of the Snohomish River watershed
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Location of the mouth of the Sultan in Washington
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Sultan River (the United States)
Etymology Snohomish Chief Tsul-tad
Location
Country United States
State Washington
County Snohomish
Physical characteristics
Source Cascade Range
  coordinates 47°56′53″N121°28′4″W / 47.94806°N 121.46778°W / 47.94806; -121.46778 [1]
Mouth Skykomish River
  location
Sultan
  coordinates
47°51′28″N121°49′13″W / 47.85778°N 121.82028°W / 47.85778; -121.82028 Coordinates: 47°51′28″N121°49′13″W / 47.85778°N 121.82028°W / 47.85778; -121.82028 [1]
Length30 mi (48 km) [2]
Basin size80 sq mi (210 km2)
Discharge 
  locationUSGS gage 12138160, Sultan River below Powerplant, near Sultan, WA, river mile 4.5 [3]
  average735 cu ft/s (20.8 m3/s) [3]
  minimum157 cu ft/s (4.4 m3/s)
  maximum20,100 cu ft/s (570 m3/s)

The Sultan River is a river in Snohomish County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a tributary of the Skykomish River, which it joins at the town of Sultan, Washington. The river is dammed in its upper third by Culmback Dam to form Spada Lake.

Contents

Both the Sultan River and the town of Sultan were named by prospectors for the chief of a Snohomish sub-tribe who lived on the Skykomish River in the 1870s. His name was Tsul-tad or Tseul-tud, which was anglicized by the miners into Sultan. [4]

The Sultan River's drainage basin was subjected to intense glaciation during the Pleistocene era. The river flows through a well-defined glacially carved trench. The upper South Fork Sultan River flows through a classic U-shaped valley cut by a glacier through Quartz diorite. The Sultan's river main tributariesthe North Fork, South Fork, Elk Creek, and Williamson Creek flow through narrow valleys to converge in the lower Sultan basin where the valley floor is relatively broad. The Sultan River exits this basin by plunging abruptly into and through a narrow canyon. [5]

Pleistocene glaciers spread down the valleys of the Sultan River and its tributaries, merging in the lower basin. From there the ice pushed west through what is now the Pilchuck River valley. Today the two rivers are separated by the terminal moraine of an ice front that spread up the Pilchuck valley and impounded the Sultan River, creating a lake. This glacial lake eventually drained westward, creating a delta moraine. The postglacial Sultan River cut through the delta moraine, establishing its present course out of the lower Sultan basin. [5]

Course

The Sultan River originates at Crested Buttes. It flows northwest, then southwest into Spada Lake. Spada Lake, held back by the Culmback Dam, is the main source of drinking water for people in Everett. The South Fork Sultan River joins the main river by flowing into a large arm of the lake’s south shore. The Sultan River exits the lake and flows west, then south to its confluence with the Skykomish River. The river’s largest tributaries are Elk Creek, which joins just above where the river flows into Spada Lake, and Williamson Creek, which flows from remote Copper Lake and enters the lake just below where the river enters it.

South Fork

Formed at the confluence of the North Fork South Fork and Middle Fork South Fork, the South Fork Sultan River flows northwest and empties into the southern arm of Spada Lake. [6]

North Fork South Fork

The North Fork South Fork Sultan River originates at the divide between it and Salmon Creek and flows west. It joins the Middle Fork South Fork to form the South Fork Sultan River. [7]

Middle Fork South Fork

The Middle Fork South Fork Sultan River originates on the east slope of Mount Stickney. It flows north for about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) and joins the North Fork South Fork, forming the South Fork Sultan River. [8]

South Fork South Fork

The South Fork South Fork Sultan River begins at the outlet of One Acre Lake, flows north and joins the South Fork just above its mouth on Spada Lake. [9]

History

Prospecting began in the Sultan basin around 1870. Gold deposits were recovered from gravels along the lower river with small-scaler placer operations as early as 1869. Rich deposits were found in the basin some years later. In 1891 a major discovery was madethe so-called "45 vein", worked by the 45 Mine. Development depended on transportation, which came slowly. In 1896 the 45 Mine became the Sultan basin's first producer. A rough 20-mile (32 km) long wagon road was built from the mine to the railroad at Sultan on the Skykomish River. A trail was built over Marble Pass to Silverton. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Skykomish River

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Skokomish River

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Sol Duc River

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Wallace River

The Wallace River is a medium-sized river in Washington, United States. It is a tributary of the Skykomish River and joins near Sultan, just upstream from the mouth of the Sultan River. The Wallace River is 15 miles (24 km) long. Its drainage basin is 30 square miles (78 km2) in area.

Culmback Dam Dam in Snohomish County, Washington

The Culmback Dam is a large rockfill hydroelectric and water supply dam on the Sultan River, a tributary of the Skykomish River, in Washington. Built in 1965, the dam is 640 feet (200 m) long at the crest and 262 feet (80 m) high. Its reservoir, Spada Lake, provides water for 70 to 75 percent of Snohomish County and feeds the Jackson Hydro Project, providing 112 megawatts of clean energy to Snohomish county. Some critics charge that the dam has strongly impacted the runs of salmon and other migratory fish in the Sultan River by depleting gravel and sediment needed to line the riverbed. The dam's operator counters that Culmback Dam dramatically reduces flooding events, benefiting fish populations and the surrounding communities. The dam was named in honor of George Culmback, a former mayor of Everett.

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The Miller River is a river in King County, Washington. Named for 1890s prospector John Miller, it is a tributary of the Skykomish River, which it joins near the community of Miller River. The Miller River is about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long from the confluence of its main tributaries, the East Fork and West Fork. Miller River Campground is located just downriver from the confluence.

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Beckler River river in the United States of America

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The Rapid River is a tributary of the Beckler River in the U.S. state of Washington in the United States. It is 13 miles (21 km) long, with a drainage basin of 41 square miles (106 km2).

Foss River

The Foss River is a stream in the U.S. state of Washington. It has two main forks, the East Fork Foss River and the West Fork Foss River. The main stem is formed by the confluence of the two forks. The river and its forks rise near in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area of Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in the Cascade Mountains and flows generally north, joining the Tye River to form the South Fork Skykomish River. The Foss River's waters eventually empty into Puget Sound near Everett via the Skykomish River and Snohomish River.

References

  1. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sultan River
  2. Calculated in Google Earth
  3. 1 2 "Water Resources Data-Washington Water Year 2005; Snohomish River Basin" (PDF). USGS . Retrieved 5 August 2009.
  4. "Sultan". Washington Place Names database. Tacoma Public Library. Archived from the original on 2009-03-09. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
  5. 1 2 3 Beckey, Fred (2003). Cascade Alpine Guide: Climbing and High Routes: Stevens Pass to Rainy Pass (3rd ed.). The Mountaineers. pp. 25–26, 30. ISBN   0-89886-423-2.
  6. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: South Fork Sultan River
  7. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: North Fork South Fork Sultan River
  8. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Middle Fork South Fork Sultan River
  9. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: South Fork South Fork Sultan River