Nespelem River

For other uses, see Nespelem (disambiguation).
Nespelem River
Location
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CityNespelem
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • coordinates48°21′5″N 118°55′48″W / 48.35139°N 118.93000°W / 48.35139; -118.93000[1]
 • elevation3,850 ft (1,170 m)[2]
MouthColumbia River
 • coordinates
48°7′40″N 119°2′34″W / 48.12778°N 119.04278°W / 48.12778; -119.04278[1]
 • elevation
961 ft (293 m)[2]
Basin size224 sq mi (580 km2)[3]
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftLittle Nespelem River

The Nespelem River is a northern tributary of the Columbia River, in the U.S. state of Washington. It is completely contained within Okanogan County and the Colville Indian Reservation.

The name "Nespelem" is said to come from the Indian word nesilim, meaning "flat land".[4]

  1. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Nespelem River, USGS, GNIS
  2. ^ a b Google Earth elevation for GNIS coordinates.
  3. ^ Lake Rufus Woods Archived 2007-07-13 at the Wayback Machine, Intermountain Province Plan, Northwest Power and Conservation Council
  4. ^ Phillips, James W. (1971). Washington State Place Names. University of Washington Press. ISBN 0-295-95158-3.