Salmon River (Clackamas County, Oregon)

Salmon River
At Wildwood Recreation Site, less than 2 miles (3 km) from the river mouth
Mount Hood and vicinity showing the Salmon River (near the bottom center)
EtymologyFish (salmon) that frequent the river[1]
Location
CountryUnited States
StateOregon
CountyClackamas County
Physical characteristics
SourceMount Hood National Forest
 • locationMount Hood
 • coordinates45°20′09″N 121°42′24″W / 45.33583°N 121.70667°W / 45.33583; -121.70667[2]
 • elevation6,124 ft (1,867 m)[3]
MouthSandy River
 • location
Brightwood
 • coordinates
45°22′36″N 122°01′49″W / 45.37667°N 122.03028°W / 45.37667; -122.03028[2]
 • elevation
1,017 ft (310 m)[2]
Length33.5 mi (53.9 km)[4]
Basin size115 sq mi (300 km2)[5]
Discharge 
 • average527 cu ft/s (14.9 m3/s)[5]
TypeWild, Scenic, Recreational
DesignatedOctober 28, 1988

The Salmon River is a 33.5-mile (53.9 km) river in the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon that drains part of southwestern Mount Hood. The entire length of the river is a protected National Wild and Scenic River.[4] Several portions are in protected wilderness. It is affluent to the Sandy River, a tributary of the Columbia River.

  1. ^ McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland: Oregon Historical Society Press. pp. 842−43. ISBN 0-87595-277-1.
  2. ^ a b c "Salmon River". Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. Retrieved 2012-04-27.
  3. ^ Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.
  4. ^ a b "Salmon River, Oregon". National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Palmer, Tim (2014). Field Guide to Oregon Rivers. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press. pp. 209–10. ISBN 978-0-87071-627-0.