Clackamas River
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The Clackamas River is a tributary of the Willamette River, approximately 85 mi (137 km) long, in northwestern Oregon in the United States.The river drains an area of approximately 940 square miles. In its upper reaches, it passes through mostly forested, rugged mountainous terrain, while in its lower third, it passes through agricultural and urban areas.
It rises in eastern Marion County, approximately 55 mi (89 km) ESE of Salem. The headwaters are in the Mount Hood National Forest in the Cascades, on the slopes of Ollalie Butte, at an altitude of approximately 6000 ft (1800 m), approximately 10 mi (16 km) north of Mt. Jefferson. It flows briefly north, then northwest through the mountains, passing through North Fork Reservoir, then passing Estacada and emerging from the mountains southeast of Portland. It joins the Willamette near Oregon City.
The river supports runs of Coho, Spring and Fall Chinook, and Summer and Winter steelhead. It is a popular destination for recreational fishing and whitewater rafting. It also provides hydroelectric power and drinking water for the Portland metropolitan area.
Regulation of the river began in 1905 with the Cazadero Dam. In 1912, the River Mill Dam intercepted wood and coarse sediment. Later dams at North Fork, Oak Grove, Stone Creek, Timothy Lake also intercepted wood sediment on the lower river.
Forty-seven miles (75 km) of the river, as well as 14 mi (24 km) of its tributary the Roaring River, have been designated as the Clackamas Wild and Scenic River.
See also
External links
- Clackamas River Basin Council (http://www.clackamasriver.org/)
- NPS: Clackamas Wild and Scenic River (http://www.nps.gov/rivers/wsr-clackamas.html)
- SWRP: The Clackamas River (http://www.swrp.org/Watershed_Pages/Introduction/introduction_clackamas.htm)
- Clackamas River watershed map (http://www.swrp.org/Watershed_Pages/watershed_maps/Clackamas_map.jpg)
