Deschutes River (Washington)

The Deschutes River is a 50-mile-long (80 km) river in the U.S. state of Washington. Its source is in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest 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
Location of the mouth of the Deschutes River in Washington Deschutes River (Washington) (the United States)
Location
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Thurston, Lewis
Physical characteristics
Source	Cascade Range
• coordinates	46°41′0″N 122°26′17″W[1]
Mouth	Puget Sound
• coordinates	47°1′6″N 122°54′13″W[1]
Length	50 mi (80 km)
Basin size	162 sq mi (420 km^2)[2]
Discharge
• location	river mile 2.4 at Tumwater[2]
• average	396 cu ft/s (11.2 m^3/s)[2]
• minimum	48 cu ft/s (1.4 m^3/s)
• maximum	8,150 cu ft/s (231 m^3/s)

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

See also

• List of rivers of Washington

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Deschutes River
2. "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