McKenzie River

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For rivers named "Mackenzie", see Mackenzie River (disambiguation).
Coordinates: 44°7′32″N 123°6′20″W / 44.12556°N 123.10556°W / 44.12556; -123.10556
McKenzie River
Cougar Dam and reservoir on the McKenzie River
Country  United States
State Oregon
Counties Lane, Linn
Source Clear Lake
 - location Cascade Range
 - coordinates 44°21′37″N 121°59′39″W / 44.36028°N 121.99417°W / 44.36028; -121.99417 [1]
Mouth Willamette River
 - elevation 371 ft (113 m) [1]
 - coordinates 44°7′32″N 123°6′20″W / 44.12556°N 123.10556°W / 44.12556; -123.10556 [1]
Length 86 mi (138 km)
Basin 1,300 sq mi (3,367 km2) [2]
Discharge for river mile 27.7 near Walterville
 - average 2,897 cu ft/s (82 m3/s) [3]
 - max 56,100 cu ft/s (1,589 m3/s)
 - min 420 cu ft/s (12 m3/s)
Location of the mouth of the McKenzie River in Oregon
McKenzie River near the Blue Hole
Sahalie Falls on the McKenzie River

The McKenzie River is an 86-mile (138 km) long tributary of the Willamette River in western Oregon in the United States. It drains part of the Cascade Range east of Eugene and flows into the southernmost end of the Willamette Valley. It is named for Donald MacKenzie, a Scottish Canadian fur trader.[4]

Contents

[edit] Course

The McKenzie River originates as the outflow of Clear Lake in high Cascades of eastern Linn County in the Willamette National Forest. Clear Lake is fed by Ikenick Creek and Fish Lake Creek, the latter of which flows from Fish Lake, a few miles north of Clear Lake. Fish Lake's main tributary is Hackieman Creek, which drains the north side of Browder Ridge east of Tombstone Pass. U.S. Route 20 crosses the pass and follows Hackieman Creek. The McKenzie River flows south from Clear Lake, paralleled by Oregon Route 126. It enters Lane County and flows west past McKenzie Bridge. It receives the South Fork McKenzie River approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Blue River. The South Fork rises near the Pacific Crest Trail in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area and flows north-northwest approximately 30 miles (48 km) through Cougar Reservoir and Cougar Dam.

After the South Fork confluence the main stem McKenzie River flows west through a narrow valley in the mountains, past Vida and Walterville. As it emerges from the mountains it passes along the north side of Springfield and joins the Willamette from the east 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Eugene.[5]

[edit] Watershed

Wiki letter w.svg This section requires expansion.

The McKenzie is the sole source of drinking water for Eugene.[6]

[edit] Drift boat

The McKenzie River is also home of the McKenzie River Drift Boat. This flat-bottomed boat with a high bow is used throughout the world for fishing in fast moving rivers.

[edit] Communities in the McKenzie River Valley

The eastern portion of Oregon Route 126 passes through the valley of the McKenzie River, closely following the river for much of its route. The sixty-mile stretch of the river from the edge of the Springfield metro area east to the Cascades is known as the McKenzie Valley.[7] The following communities are located on or near the river and/or the highway in the valley (west to east):

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographical Names Information System: McKenzie River
  2. ^ "Watershed Facts". McKenzie Watershed Council. http://www.mckenziewc.org/facts.htm. Retrieved 29 September 2009. 
  3. ^ "Water Resources Data for Oregon, Water Year 2005; McKenzie River Basin including and below the Blue River". United States Geological Survey. http://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/2005/wdr-or-05/pdf/mckenzie_2.pdf. Retrieved 29 September 2009. 
  4. ^ McArthur, Lewis (2003). Oregon Geographic Names. Portland: Oregon Historical Society Press. pp. 628–629. ISBN 0875952771. 
  5. ^ General course info from USGS topographic maps accessed via the "GNIS in Google Map" feature of the USGS Geographic Names Information System website; and Oregon Road & Recreation Atlas (Second Edition ed.). Benchmark Maps. 2002. ISBN 0-929591-50-X. 
  6. ^ Eugene Water & Electric Board: McKenzie Water Quality.org
  7. ^ McKenzie River Communities

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 44°7′32″N 123°6′20″W / 44.12556°N 123.10556°W / 44.12556; -123.10556

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