Elochoman River
Template:Geobox The Elochoman River is a tributary of the Columbia River, in the U.S. state of Washington. It is about 15 miles (24 km) long.[1]
The river's name comes from the name of a Cathlamet (Chinookan) village.[2]
Course
The Elochoman River's headwater's start from Elochoman Lake, in Cowlitz County,[3] from which it flows west for several miles. Joined by the tributary East Fork[4] and North Fork,[5] the main river turns south. After a few miles the West Fork tributary joins.[6] From there the main Elochoman River flows south and southwest. Its river valley widens into a broad flat bottomland called the Upper Elochoman Valley.[7] Then the river passes through a short but narrow gorge, after which it meanders through the Lower Elochoman Valley.[8]
In its final reach the Elochoman River flows through the sloughs and wetlands of the Columbia River's estuary. The mouth of the river is on Elochoman Slough, a 3-mile (4.8 km) long[9] side-channel of the Columbia River located east of Hunting Islands, northwest of Cathlamet.[10] Much of the lower Elochoman River, Elochoman Slough, and Hunting Island are part of the Columbian White-tailed Deer National Wildlife Refuge.[11]
Natural history
The Elochoman River supports populations of Chinook, Coho, and Chum salmon, as well winter-run steelhead trout.[12] The steelhead, which routinely number over 1,000 annually, are a draw for sport fishing. The largest salmon ever caught in freshwater in Washington State was caught here by Mark Salmon on 10/5/1992, his catch weighed 68lbs. and 4 ounces.[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Elochoman River
- ^ Bright, William (2007). Native American placenames of the United States. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 143. ISBN 978-0-8061-3598-4. online at Google Books
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Elochoman Lake
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: East Fork Elochoman River
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: North Fork Elochoman River
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: West Fork Elochoman River
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Upper Elochoman Valley
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lower Elochoman Valley
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Elochoman Slough
- ^ "Lewis & Clark's Columbia River: Elochoman River and Slough, Washington". Retrieved May 13, 2009.
- ^ Course inforamation mainly from USGS topo maps available via the relevant USGS GNIS pages.
- ^ Rose, Doug (2006). Washington River Maps & Fishing Guide. Frank Amato Publications. ISBN 1-57188-367-3.