Skookumchuck River
| Skookumchuck River | |
|---|---|
 Skookumchuck River in Bucoda, WA | |
  Location of the mouth of the Skookumchuck River in Washington  Skookumchuck River (the United States) | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Lewis, Thurston |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • coordinates | 46°42′28″N 122°26′41″W / 46.70778°N 122.44472°W[1] |
| Mouth | |
• coordinates | 46°43′10″N 122°58′55″W / 46.71944°N 122.98194°W[1] |
| Length | 45 mi (72 km)[2] |
| Basin size | 181 sq mi (470 km2)[3] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | river mile 6.4 near Bucoda[4] |
| • average | 1,972 cu ft/s (55.8 m3/s)[4] |
| • minimum | 40 cu ft/s (1.1 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 8,560 cu ft/s (242 m3/s) |
The Skookumchuck River is a 45-mile (72 km) long[2] river located in southwest Washington, United States. It is a tributary of the Chehalis River, which is the largest drainage basin located entirely within the state.[5]
History[edit]
The name Skookumchuck derives from Chinook Jargon: in this context, "rapids". The word skookum means "strong", and chuck means "water".[6]
The Skookumchuck Dam was built in 1970, creating the Skookumchuck Reservoir.[7] The earthen dam has been part of several flood mitigation proposals to protect the Centralia and Chehalis communities from continuing overflow events.[8][9] The dam provides water supply for the 1400-megawatt Centralia Steam Electric Plant and supplements flows for fish resources.
Course[edit]
The river begins with several tributaries in the Snoqualmie National Forest in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, and flows west past the town of Bucoda, Washington to its confluence with the Chehalis River near Centralia, Washington.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Skookumchuck River
- ^ a b "Skookumchuck River". The Columbia Gazetteer of North America. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
- ^ "Chehalis River Basin Nonpoint Action Plan - Skookumchuck River". Chehalis River Council Nonpoint Action Plan - Skookumchuck River. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
- ^ a b "Water Resources Data-Washington Water Year 2005; Chehalis and Humptulips River Basins; 12026400 Skookumchuck River near Bucoda, WA" (PDF). United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
- ^ Vander Stoep, Isabel (May 24, 2023). "Federal 'Endangered' Listing Sought for Chehalis River's Spring Chinook, Others". The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington). Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ Majors, Harry M. (1975). Exploring Washington. Van Winkle Publishing Co. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-918664-00-6.
- ^ Mittge, Brian (December 11, 2004). "Fighting floods". The Chronicle. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ The Chronicle editorial staff (February 22, 2005). "Flood reduction on Chehalis seems mission impossible". The Chronicle. p. 6. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ Lange, Larry (January 8, 2009). "Solution to flooding problem a long way off". The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
External links[edit]
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - Skookumcuck River gauge - Centralia
- United States Geological Survey (USGS) - Skookumchuck River gauge - Bucoda
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