Deschutes River (Washington)

The Deschutes River is a 50-mile-long (80 km) river in the U.S. state of Washington. Its headwaters are in the Bald Hills in Lewis County, and it empties into Budd Inlet of Puget Sound at Olympia in Thurston County. It was given its name by French fur traders, who called it Rivière des Chutes, or "River of the Falls", a translation of the First Nations name for the site. (The city of Tumwater, founded in the same location, takes its name from the Chinook Jargon translation for "waterfall".)

Deschutes River
Tumwater Falls of the Deschutes River, in the city of Tumwater
Deschutes River (Washington) is located in Washington (state)
Deschutes River (Washington)
Location of the mouth of the Deschutes River in Washington
Deschutes River (Washington) is located in the United States
Deschutes River (Washington)
Deschutes River (Washington) (the United States)
Location
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyThurston, Lewis
Physical characteristics
SourceCascade Range
 • coordinates46°41′0″N 122°26′17″W / 46.68333°N 122.43806°W / 46.68333; -122.43806[1]
MouthPuget Sound
 • coordinates
47°1′6″N 122°54′13″W / 47.01833°N 122.90361°W / 47.01833; -122.90361[1]
Length50 mi (80 km)
Basin size162 sq mi (420 km2)[2]
Discharge 
 • locationriver mile 2.4 at Tumwater[2]
 • average396 cu ft/s (11.2 m3/s)[2]
 • minimum48 cu ft/s (1.4 m3/s)
 • maximum8,150 cu ft/s (231 m3/s)

Tributaries of the river include Spurgeon Creek, Thurston Creek and Lake Lawrence.[3]

Recreation

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There are numerous parks along its course, including Pioneer Park and Tumwater Falls Park. A popular tubing stretch runs from Pioneer Park to Tumwater Falls.

The Chehalis Western Trail parallels the river for a stretch of 2 miles (3.2 km), allowing users direct views and access to the river.[4][5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Deschutes River
  2. ^ a b c "Water Resources Data-Washington Water Year 2005; Deschutes and Nisqually River Basins; 12080010 Deschutes River at E Street Bridge, at Tumwater, WA" (PDF). United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
  3. ^ East Olympia, Vail, and Lake Lawrence, Washington 7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangles, USGS, 1959
  4. ^ Vinh, Tan (February 26, 2015). "Hike of the Month: Barns, birds along wheelchair-friendly rail trail". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  5. ^ Clark, Brian E. (April 10, 2017). "Wild or mild, these bike rides are among the best in the West (and Iowa)". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 18, 2023.