The Chiwawa River is a
tributary
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...
of the
Wenatchee River
The Wenatchee River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington, originating at Lake Wenatchee and flowing southeast for , emptying into the Columbia River immediately north of Wenatchee, Washington. On its way it passes the towns of Plain, Le ...
, in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
. It is completely contained within
Chelan County.
Much of the Chiwawa River's
drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
is designated
national forest National Forest may refer to:
* National forest or state forest, a forest administered or protected by a sovereign state
** National forest (Brazil)
** National forest (France)
** National forest (United States)
** State Forests (Poland)
** The N ...
and
wilderness
Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plurale tantum, plural) are Earth, Earth's natural environments that have not been significantly modified by human impact on the environment, human activity, or any urbanization, nonurbanized land not u ...
. The upper Chiwawa watershed is in nearly pristine condition.
The river is part of the
Columbia River
The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...
basin, being a tributary of the Wenatchee River, which is a tributary to the Columbia River.
The river's name comes from a
Columbia-Moses term meaning of kind of creek ("wawa" creek).
A large number of place names in the Chiwawa River basin were given by
Albert H. Sylvester.
Course
The Chiwawa River originates in the
Glacier Peak Wilderness
Glacier Peak Wilderness is a , , wilderness area located within portions of Chelan County, Washington, Chelan, Snohomish County, Washington, Snohomish, and Skagit County, Washington, Skagit counties in the North Cascades of Washington (state), ...
of the
North Cascades
The North Cascades are a section of the Cascade Range of western North America. They span the border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and ...
, on the southern slopes of
Chiwawa Mountain and
Fortress Mountain. It flows south through the
Wenatchee National Forest
Wenatchee ( ) is the county seat and most populous city of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925, and has increased to 35,508 as of 2020. Located in the north-central part of the stat ...
, between Chiwawa Ridge to the west and the Entiat Mountains to the east.
The Chiwawa River empties into the Wenatchee River several miles east of
Lake Wenatchee
Lake Wenatchee is a glacier- and snowmelt-fed lake situated in the Wenatchee National Forest on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range, Cascades Mountain Range in the state of Washington (U.S. state), Washington. Lake Wenatchee covers and reache ...
.
See also
*
List of rivers in Washington
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Washington.
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin. Respective tributaries are indented under each larger stream's name and are ordered downstream to upstream.
Strait of Georgia / S ...
*
Tributaries of the Columbia River
Tributaries and sub-tributaries are hierarchically listed in order from the mouth of the Columbia River upstream. Major dams and reservoir lakes are also noted.
List of major tributaries
The main river and tributaries are (sorted in order from t ...
References
{{authority control
Rivers of Washington (state)
Rivers of Chelan County, Washington