| Suiattle River | |
|---|---|
 The Suiattle shortly before its confluence with the Sauk | |
 Suiattle River watershed (Interactive map) | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| Counties | Skagit, Snohomish |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Suiattle Glacier |
| • coordinates | 48°4′56″N 121°5′28″W / 48.08222°N 121.09111°W[1] |
| • elevation | 7,000 ft (2,100 m) |
| Mouth | Sauk River |
• coordinates | 48°20′17″N 121°32′55″W / 48.33806°N 121.54861°W[1] |
• elevation | 400 ft (120 m) |
| Length | 60 mi (97 km) |
| Basin size | 343.7 sq mi (890 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 1,750 cu ft/s (50 m3/s)[2] |
| • minimum | 430 cu ft/s (12 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 30,700 cu ft/s (870 m3/s) |
| Designated | November 10, 1978 |
The Suiattle River (/suːˈætəl/ soo-AT-əl) is a river in the northern Cascade Mountains of western Washington, United States. It is a tributary of the Sauk River and by extension the Skagit River. Its source is located between Suiattle Glacier and Honeycomb Glacier on Glacier Peak, at an elevation of around 7,000 ft (2,100 m) above sea level. It descends through a 60-mile (97 km) course, lying mainly within the Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest. It meets the Sauk northeast of Darrington, Washington, at an elevation of 400 ft (120 m). Snowmelt from Chocolate and Dusty Glacier gives the river silty water, with a suspended load over twice that of the upper Sauk or adjacent White Chuck.
The Suiattle watershed is heavily forested and undeveloped, with human use mainly limited to outdoor recreation such as use of the Pacific Crest Trail, which passes over the river. It holds great cultural importance among the eponymous Sauk-Suiattle nation. It is an important spawning site for various species of salmon and trout; the river's stock of Chinook salmon is the only salmon population in the Puget Sound to meet its population recovery targets.