The White Salmon River is a tributary of the

Columbia River The Columbia River ( Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia ...

in the U.S. state of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. Originating on the slopes of Mount Adams, it flows into the

Columbia Gorge The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range, forming the boundary between the state ...

near the community of

Underwood Underwood may refer to: People *Underwood (surname), people with the surname Places United States *Underwood, Shelby County, Alabama *Underwood, Indiana *Underwood, Iowa *Underwood, Minnesota *Underwood, New York *Underwood, North Dakota *Underw ...

. Parts of the river have been designated

Wild and Scenic The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free- ...

. The principal tributaries of the White Salmon River include Trout Lake and Buck, Mill, Dry, Gilmer, and Rattlesnake Creeks.

Wild and Scenic

In 1986, the lower White Salmon River was designated

between Gilmer Creek and Buck Creek. In 2005, the upper river between the headwaters and the boundary of the

Gifford Pinchot National Forest Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a National Forest located in southern Washington, managed by the United States Forest Service. With an area of 1.32 million acres (5300 km2), it extends 116 km along the western slopes of Cascade Ran ...

was added to the designation. The two reaches, which are not contiguous, total , of which are "wild" and are "scenic." On the upper stretches of the White Salmon River near the Trout Lake Farming Community there are a few irrigation dams on the White Salmon River. These irrigation dams may be full/partial barriers to resident trout populations.

Recreation

The White Salmon River is used for

whitewater Whitewater forms in a rapid context, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque and ...

boating nearly year-round. A popular spot to launch a raft or kayak is the public put-in at the

unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to: * Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality * Unincorporated entity, a type of organization * Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...

community of BZ Corner. The day-use area at the put-in includes parking, restrooms, and toilets. Full day whitewater tours will also take visitors rafting through the former Condit Dam/Northwestern Lake portion of the White Salmon River and to the Columbia River confluence. Guided whitewater trips can be arranged with commercial outfitters with special-use permits for the White Salmon.

Condit Dam demolition

On October 26, 2011, the Condit Dam on the White Salmon River was intentionally breached as part of the dam's decommissioning by

PacifiCorp PacifiCorp is an electric power company in the western United States. PacifiCorp has two business units: # Pacific Power, a regulated electric utility with service territory throughout Oregon, northern California, and southeastern Washington. ...

. The breach allowed the river to flow unimpeded for the first time in nearly a century.

References

External links

Dam-breaching video
- YouTube
Friends of the White Salmon
*

Photo A photograph (also known as a photo, image, or picture) is an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor, such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are now crea ...

of the river below the dam
USGS map of the areaThe White Salmon River Runs Free: Breaching the Condit Dam
Documentary produced by

Oregon Field Guide ''Oregon Field Guide'' is a weekly television program produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting focusing on recreation, the outdoors, and environmental issues in the state of Oregon. The show has become part of the Oregon zeitgeist. Steve Amen i ...

{{authority control Rivers of Washington (state) Columbia River Gorge Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States Mount Adams (Washington) Gifford Pinchot National Forest Tributaries of the Columbia River Rivers of Klickitat County, Washington Rivers of Skamania County, Washington

Wild and Scenic

Recreation

Condit Dam demolition

See also

References

External links