Puyallup River
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2008-06-07T09:44:36Z
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Disambiguate [[Watershed]] to [[drainage basin]] using [[:en:Wikipedia:Tools/Navigation_popups|popups]]
{{Geobox River
<!-- *** Name section *** -->
| name = Puyallup River
| native_name =
| other_name =
| other_name1 =
<!-- *** Image *** --->
| image =
| image_size =
| image_caption =
<!-- *** Country etc. *** -->
| country = United States
| country1 =
| state = Washington
| state1 =
| region_type = Counties
| region = [[Pierce County, Washington|Pierce]]
| region1 =
| district =
| district1 =
| city = [[Orting, Washington|Orting]]
| city1 = [[Puyallup, Washington|Puyallup]]
| city2 = [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]]
<!-- *** Geography *** -->
| length_imperial = 45
| length_note = <ref name="gazetteer">[http://www.bartleby.com/69/17/P09517.html Puyallup River], The Columbia Gazetteer of North America</ref>
| watershed_imperial = 948
| watershed_note = <ref name="WDR">[http://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/2005/wdr-wa-05-1/pdf/wa00103ADR2005_Figure28.pdf Puyallup and White River Basins], Water Resource Data, Washington, 2005, [[United States Geological Survey|USGS]].</ref>
| discharge_location = [[Puyallup, Washington|Puyallup]]
| discharge_imperial = 3313
| discharge_max_imperial = 57000
| discharge_min_imperial = 400
| discharge_note = <ref name="WDR"/>
| discharge1_location =
| discharge1_imperial =
<!-- *** Source *** -->
| source_name = Mount Rainier
| source_location =
| source_district =
| source_region =
| source_state =
| source_country =
| source_lat_d = 46
| source_lat_m = 51
| source_lat_s = 50
| source_lat_NS = N
| source_long_d = 121
| source_long_m = 57
| source_long_s = 4
| source_long_EW = W
| source_coordinates_note = <ref name="GNIS">{{gnis|1524711}}</ref>
| source_elevation_imperial = 2280
| source_elevation_note = <ref name="GE">[[Google Earth]] elevation for [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] coordinates.</ref>
| source_length_imperial =
<!-- *** Mouth *** -->
| mouth_name = Puget Sound
| mouth_location = Commencement Bay
| mouth_district =
| mouth_region =
| mouth_state =
| mouth_country =
| mouth_lat_d = 47
| mouth_lat_m = 16
| mouth_lat_s = 10
| mouth_lat_NS = N
| mouth_long_d = 122
| mouth_long_m = 25
| mouth_long_s = 42
| mouth_long_EW = W
| mouth_coordinates_note = <ref name="GNIS"/>
| mouth_elevation_imperial = 0
| mouth_elevation_note = <ref name="GE"/>
<!-- *** Tributaries *** -->
| tributary_left =
| tributary_left1 =
| tributary_right = Mowich River
| tributary_right1 = Carbon River
| tributary_right2 = [[White River (Washington)|White River]]
<!-- *** Free fields *** -->
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}}
The '''Puyallup River''' (pronounced ''pyoo-AL-uhp'') is a [[river]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Washington]]. About 45 miles long (72 km), it is formed by [[glacier]]s on the west side of [[Mount Rainier]]. It flows generally northwest, emptying into [[Commencement Bay]], part of [[Puget Sound]]. The river and its tributaries drain an area of about 1,000 square miles (2,590 sq km) in [[Pierce County, Washington|Pierce County]] and southern [[King County, Washington|King County]].<ref name="knoblach">{{cite web | last =Knoblach | first =David A. | date =1999, 2000 | url=http://students.washington.edu/knoblach/case%233.htm | title ="Flood Control along the Lower Puyallup River" | accessdate =2006-09-09}}</ref>
The river's [[drainage basin|watershed]] is the youngest in the Puget Sound region, having been formed from a series of [[lahar]]s starting about 5,600 years ago.<ref name=sharedsalmon>{{cite web | date =April 2006 | url=http://www.sharedsalmonstrategy.org/watersheds/watershed-puyallup.htm | title ="Salmon and the Puyallup/White and Chambers/Clover Creek Watersheds" | publisher =Shared Strategy for Puget Sound | accessdate =2006-09-09}}</ref> The valley's 150,000 residents are at risk from future lahars. For this reason, the [[United States Geological Survey]] has installed a lahar warning system.
==Course==
The Puyallup River begins in two forks, the North Puyallup River and the South Puyallup River. Both originate at glaciers on Mount Rainier. The North Puyallup River flows from the toe of [[Puyallup Glacier]], while the South Puyallup River flows from [[Tahoma Glacier]]. The two streams flow through the western part of [[Mount Rainier National Park]], joining just outside the park boundary and forming the Puyallup River proper.
The main Puyallup River flows north and northwest from Mount Rainier. The tributary [[Mowich River]], which also flows from glaciers on Mount Rainier, joins the Puyallup from the east. Below the Mowich confluence, the Puyallup River flows through a rugged region of mountains and foothills. The river is dammed at Electron Dam shortly below the Mowich confluence. The dam diverts a portion of the Puyallup River into a long [[flume]], which runs for several miles to Electron, where the water is passed through turbines in a [[Hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] powerhouse before being returned to the river. The Puyallup River passes through a steep and narrow gorge between Electron Dam and the powerhouse.
[[Image:P River.JPG|left|300px|thumb|View of the Puyallup River between River Road and North Levee Road. (The River separates Fife from Tacoma)]]
After Electron the river turns north and flows by the city of [[Orting, Washington|Orting]], where it is joined by the [[Carbon River]] from the east. Like the Mowich, the Carbon River also originates at a glacier on Mount Rainier (the [[Carbon Glacier]]). The Puyallup continues its northernly course after Orting. At [[Sumner, Washington|Sumner]], the river is joined by the [[White River (Washington)|White River]], another glacier-fed river. At the White River confluence, the Puyallup River turns northwest, flowing by the cities of [[Puyallup, Washington|Puyallup]] and [[Fife, Washington|Fife]], and through the [[Puyallup (tribe)|Puyallup Indian Reservation]], before emptying into Commencement Bay at the [[Port of Tacoma]], part of the city of [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]].<ref>General course info from {{cite book | title = Washington Road & Recreation Atlas | year = 2000 | publisher = [[Benchmark Maps]]}} and http://www.topozone.com</ref>
==Natural history==
The Puyallup River and its main tributaries originate in the glaciers of Mount Rainier. These glaciers continually provide [[sediment]] such as silt and gravel to the rivers, creating sand and gravel bars. The thick sediment deposits in the [[stream bed]]s lower water capacity, which causes the river to meander and flood during periods of high streamflow. It also causes the rivers to become [[Braided river|braided]] and [[meander|meandering]]. During the summer glacial meltwater dominates the streamflow, turning the Puyallup River [[Turbidity|turbid]]. In addition, the glaciers delay the onset of spring-summer [[Surface runoff|runoff]], compared to unglaciated river basins.<ref name="knoblach"/>
Historically, these factors resulted in frequent flooding and extensive floodplain [[wetland]]s, and provided a rich and complex habitat for fish and other animals. In addition, the river's mouth at Commencement Bay occupied an extensive tidal flat and wetland [[estuary]] delta. [[Urbanization]] and an extensive system of flood control structures such as dams, levees, and culverts, have radically altered much of the Puyallup River and its tributaries. The estuary delta at the mouth of the Puyallup River has been almost completely replaced with the facilities of the Port of Tacoma, with less than 5% of the original estuarine habitat remaining.<ref name=sharedsalmon/>
A fall run of [[Chinook salmon]] occurs on the river. [[Coho salmon|Coho]], [[Chum salmon|Chum]], and [[Pink salmon|Pink]] salmon are also found in the river, along with [[Rainbow trout|Steelhead trout]], sea-run [[Cutthroat trout]], and a threatened species of [[Bull trout]]. [[Sockeye salmon]] are considered indigenous to the basin, but are rarely seen today.<ref name=sharedsalmon/>
==River modifications==
The Puyallup River and its main tributary the White River have been subjected to major modifications during the 20th century. The Puyallup River between Sumner and its mouth at Tacoma was [[River engineering#Canalization of Rivers|straightened]]. A diversion dam was built to prevent the White River from overflowing into the [[Green River (Washington)|Green River]] at Auburn. Flood protection structures were built along many rivers in the basin, including extensive [[levee]]s. A flood storage reservoir, Mud Mountain Lake, was created on the White River with the construction of Mud Mountain Dam. As part of the flood control efforts, river channels and embankments have been generally kept clear of debris such as gravel bars, large trees, logjams, and other woody debris. These modifications have radically altered the natural character of the rivers. River widths have been generally reduced. Water now fills nearly all of the land between river banks, instead of the historic pattern of braided meanders and wetlands.<ref name="knoblach"/>
==History==
The river is named for the [[Puyallup (tribe)|Puyallup tribe]], who lived throughout the river basin. After the [[Treaty of Medicine Creek]] and the [[Puget Sound War]] the Puyallup were granted a reservation on the lower Puyallup River. The Treaty of Medicine Creek recognized native fishing rights on the Puyallup River. These rights were ignored for decades until [[Bob Satiacum]] was arrested in 1954 for fishing illegally on the river. His legal case continued for years and resulted in the 1974 [[Boldt Decision]], which granted half of all fishing rights in Washington state to native tribes.
The Puyallup tribe continues to maintain several buildings and properties on reservation lands near the mouth of the river. They are stakeholders in many issues about the river, such as the amount of water diverted at Electron Dam.
The first known European to explore the Puyallup River valley was [[William Fraser Tolmie]], who in August of 1833 made a journey to the Mount Rainier area via the Puyallup and Mowich river valleys. Two Native American guides accompanied Tolmie, Lachalet, a [[Nisqually (tribe)|Nisqually]] Indian, and Nuckalkat, a Puyallup.<ref>{{cite book |last= Morgan |first= Murray |title= Puget's Sound: A Narrative of Early Tacoma and the Southern Sound |year= 1979 |publisher= University of Washington Press |isbn= 0-295-95842-1}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[List of Washington rivers]]
==External links==
*[http://wa.water.usgs.gov/realtime/htmls/puyallup.html Puyallup River Basin]
*[http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/About/Highlights/RainierPilot/Pilot_highlight.html Mount Rainier Volcano Lahar Warning System]
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Rivers of Washington]]
[[Category:Pierce County, Washington]]