| Wynoochee River river | |
|---|---|
   | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| Counties | Grays Harbor |
| Cities | Montesano |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Wynoochee Canyon, Olympic Mountains |
| Mouth | Montesano, Chehalis River (Washington) |
• coordinates | 46°57′42″N 123°36′33″W / 46.96167°N 123.60917°W |
| Length | 60 miles (97 km) |
| Basin size | 218 sq mi (560 km2) |
The Wynoochee River is a 60-mile (97 km) long[1] river located in the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. A tributary of the Chehalis River, the Wynoochee River rises in the Olympic Mountains within the Olympic National Park and flows generally south. Its drainage basin is 218 square miles (560 km2) in area.[2] The name Wynoochee comes from the Lower Chehalis placename /xʷənúɬč/,[3] meaning "shifting".[4]
The city of Montesano was a recipient of the installation of flood control measures near Montesano's wastewater treatment plant which rests near the river. As part of the Chehalis Basin Strategy, log jacks were placed during 2018-2019 that helped increase the riverbank of the migrating river, which was threatening the plant that during flooding would have inundated the community with sewage runoff. The fortification increased the habitat of aquatic species and extended the operating life of the plant by several decades.[5]
- ^ "Wynoochee River". The Columbia Gazetteer of North America. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
- ^ "Chehalis River Basin Nonpoint Action Plan - Wynoochee River". Chehalis River Council. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
- ^ Bright, William (2004). Native American placenames of the United States. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 576. ISBN 978-0-8061-3598-4. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
- ^ Majors, Harry M. (1975). Exploring Washington. Van Winkle Publishing Co. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-918664-00-6.
- ^ The Chronicle staff (August 25, 2023). "Chehalis Basin Strategy progress in review: Log jacks protect wastewater treatment plant in Grays Harbor County". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 28, 2023.