Skagit River
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The Skagit River is a river in southwestern British Columbia in Canada and northwestern Washington in the United States, approximately 150 mi (240 km) long. It drains an area of the Cascade Range along the northern end of Puget Sound.
It rises in the Cascade of British Columbia, east of Chilliwack. It flows southwest through Skagit Valley Provincial Park. It crosses the border into eastern Whatcom County, Washington, where it is impounded to form the 24 mi/39 km long Ross Lake reservoir in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area, between the two units of North Cascades National Park. It flows west past Rockport and Sedro Woolley, then briefly south near the coast past Mt. Vernon. It enters the eastern end of Skagit Bay on Puget Sound approximately 10 mi (16 km) south of Mt. Vernon.
It receives the Sauk River from the south near Rockport. It receives the Baker River from the north near Concrete.
The river's major dams, constructed in the 1920s and 1930s, provide are a primary source of hydroelectric power for Seattle and other area communities. The Skagit Valley Railroad was constructed by the city of Seattle to transport workers on the dams. The river today is a popular destination for whitewater rafting and fly fishing. The river also is the wintering ground for hundreds of Bald Eagles.
The river takes its name from the Skagit tribe, a Native American people.
External link
- History of the Skagit River Railway (http://home.att.net/~wrpn/skagithome.html)