Deschutes River (Washington)
| Deschutes River Rivière des Chutes; River of the Falls | |
|---|---|
Tumwater Falls of the Deschutes River, 2005 | |
Interactive map of River location | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Thurston, Lewis |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Cascade Range |
| • coordinates | 46°41′0″N 122°26′17″W / 46.68333°N 122.43806°W |
| Mouth | Puget Sound |
• coordinates | 47°1′6″N 122°54′13″W / 47.01833°N 122.90361°W |
| Length | 50 mi (80 km) |
| Basin size | 162 sq mi (420 km2)[1] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | river mile 2.4 at Tumwater[1] |
| • average | 396 cu ft/s (11.2 m3/s)[1] |
| • minimum | 48 cu ft/s (1.4 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 8,150 cu ft/s (231 m3/s) |
| Basin features | |
| GNIS feature ID | 1518684[2] |
The Deschutes River is a 50-mile-long (80 km) river in the U.S. state of Washington. The river's course begins in Lewis County. The waterway ends at Budd Inlet where it empties into Puget Sound.
Etymology
The river 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".
History
In 2025, the river received over $775,000 in funding for a two-project salmon restoration habitat effort to be led by the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group. Funding was provided by the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board and Puget Sound Partnership. The projects include efforts to improve floodplain, habitat, and riverbank concerns of the middle river's basin located north of Tenino, and the installation of natural logjams in the upper Deschutes and its tributary, Mitchell Creek.[3]
Course
The headwaters are in the Bald Hills in Lewis County, and it empties into Budd Inlet of Puget Sound at Olympia in Thurston County.
Tributaries of the river include Spurgeon Creek, Thurston Creek and Lake Lawrence.[4]
Recreation
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.
The Chehalis Western Trail parallels the river for a stretch of 2 miles (3.2 km), allowing users direct views and access to the river.[5][6]
See also
- List of geographic features in Lewis County, Washington
- List of geographic features in Thurston County, Washington
- List of rivers of Washington (state)
References
- ^ a b c "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 June 1, 2009.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Deschutes River
- ^ The Chronicle staff (October 10, 2025). "State Recreation and Conservation Office sends more than $2 million in grant funds to Southwest Washington". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ East Olympia, Vail, and Lake Lawrence, Washington 7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangles, USGS, 1959
- ^ Vinh, Tan (February 26, 2015). "Hike of the Month: Barns, birds along wheelchair-friendly rail trail". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^ Clark, Brian E. (April 10, 2017). "Wild or mild, these bike rides are among the best in the West (and Iowa)". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
External links