Entiat River

For other uses, see Entiat (disambiguation).
Entiat River
Country United States
State Washington
County Chelan
Source Cascade Range
 - coordinates 48°9′1″N 120°47′58″W / 48.15028°N 120.79944°W / 48.15028; -120.79944 [1]
Mouth Columbia River
 - coordinates 47°39′40″N 120°13′28″W / 47.66111°N 120.22444°W / 47.66111; -120.22444Coordinates: 47°39′40″N 120°13′28″W / 47.66111°N 120.22444°W / 47.66111; -120.22444 [1]
Length 57 mi (92 km) [2]
Basin 466 sq mi (1,207 km2) [3]
Discharge for river mile 1.4 near Entiat
 - average 471 cu ft/s (13 m3/s) [4]
 - max 4,810 cu ft/s (136 m3/s)
 - min 58 cu ft/s (2 m3/s)
Location of the mouth of the Entiat River in Washington

The Entiat River is a tributary of the Columbia River, joining the Columbia near Entiat. The USGS lists two variant names for the Entiat River: En-ti-at-kwa River and Entiatqua River.[1] The river's name is derived from the Columbia-Moses (Salishan) term /nt'yátkw/ [nt'iátkw], meaning "place of grassy water".[5] The name, spelled "Entiat", was selected for the river in 1958 by the Chelan County Public Utility District.

The Entiat River is located entirely within Chelan County, in Washington state in the United States. Over 90% of the drainage basin of the Entiat River and its tributaries is publicly owned property, mostly the Wenatchee National Forest. A large number of place names in the Entiat River basin were given by Albert H. Sylvester.

Course

The Entiat River's headwaters lie in the Glacier Peak Wilderness of the Wenatchee National Forest. Its main source comes from the slopes of Mount Maude and Seven Fingered Jack, and Entiat Glacier. From there the river flows east through Entiat Meadows before turning south. It flows south and southeast between the Entiat Mountains on the west and the Chelan Mountains on the east.

Downstream from the main river's confluence with the North Fork Entiat River, the Entiat River falls over Entiat Falls. It collects the waters of many small tributary creeks, including the Mad River.

In its final miles, the Entiat River turns east to join the Columbia River at Columbia river mile 483.7,[4] just south of the small city of Entiat. At this point the Columbia River is a reservoir created by Rocky Reach Dam. The reservoir's name is Lake Entiat. Fern Lake is located at the headwaters of the North Fork Entiat. Entiat Glacier, located in a cirque on the eastern side of Mount Maude and Seven Fingered Jack, is the headwaters of the Entiat river.

Fern Lake, at the headwaters of the North Fork Entiat.

Flora and fauna

The Entiat River supports populations of Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, and bull trout. The populations are relatively small due to the scarcity of juvenile-rearing habitat in the lower Entiat River.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Entiat River
  2. ↑ Calculated in Google Earth
  3. ↑ "Wenatchee Subbasin Plan". Northwest Power and Conservation Council. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  4. 1 2 "Water Resources Data-Washington Water Year 2005; Entiat, Wenatchee, and Sand Hollow River Basins and the Columbia River from Wells Dam to Rock Island Dam" (PDF). USGS. Retrieved 31 July 2009.
  5. ↑ Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-8061-3598-4.
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