Okanogan River
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| Okanogan River | |
|---|---|
| Okanagan River | |
| Countries | United States, Canada |
| State | Washington |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Major cities | Penticton, BC, Omak, WA |
| Length | 115 mi (185 km) [1] |
| Watershed | 8,200 sq mi (21,238 km²) [2] |
| Discharge at | Malott, WA |
| - average | 3,039 cu ft/s (86 m³/s) [3] |
| - maximum | 45,600 cu ft/s (1,291 m³/s) |
| - minimum | 288 cu ft/s (8 m³/s) |
| Source | Okanagan Lake |
| - coordinates | [4] |
| - elevation | 2,650 ft (808 m) [5] |
| Mouth | Columbia River |
| - location | Lake Pateros, Washington, United States |
| - coordinates | [6] |
| - elevation | 781 ft (238 m) [7] |
| Major tributaries | |
| - right | Similkameen River |
 Map of the Okanogan River, tributary of the Columbia River.
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The Okanogan River (called the Okanagan River in Canada) is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 115 mi (185 km) long, in southern British Columbia in Canada and north central Washington in the United States. It drains a scenic plateau region called the Okanogan Country east of the Cascade Range and north and west of the Columbia, and also the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia - which is also known as the Okanagan Country, but more usually as "the Okanagan".
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[edit] Course
The Okanogan River rises in southern British Columbia, issuing out of the southern end of Okanagan Lake, which is on the north side of the city of Penticton, British Columbia. It flows south past Penticton, through Skaha Lake, past Okanagan Falls, through Vaseux Lake, and past Oliver and Osoyoos before crossing the international border into Washington near Oroville in Okanogan County. Osoyoos Lake on the river spans the U.S.-Canada border. At the border the river's name changes spelling from Okanagan to Okanogan.
From Oroville the Okanogan River flows south through the Okanogan Region, past Okanogan and Omak. It forms the western boundary of the Colville Indian Reservation. The Okanogan River enters the Columbia River from the north, 5 miles (8 km) east of Brewster, between the Wells Dam (downstream) and the Chief Joseph Dam (upstream). The reservoir behind Wells Dam, into which the Okanogan empties, is called lake Pateros.
[edit] Tributaries
The Okanogan River receives the Similkameen River from the west near Oroville. It receives Omak Creek from the east near Omak, Tonasket Creek from the east near Oroville and Bonaparte Creek at Tonasket which flows from Bonaparte Lake near Wauconda and also from Aeneas Valley west of the San Poil. It occasionally receives water from Salmon Creek at the town of Okanogan but much of the year this water is diverted for irrigation.[8]
[edit] History
Early maps of the fur trade era show the Okanogan River as the "Caledonia River", a name conferred as it was the connecting route between the Columbia District and the New Caledonia Fur District (which began north of Okanagan Lake).
[edit] References
- ^ Okanogan River, The Columbia Gazetteer of North America. 2000.
- ^ http://www.nwcouncil.org/fw/subbasinplanning/shortsummary.asp?id=37
- ^ Water Data Report WA-05-1, chapter Okanogan River Basin; retrieved April 20, 2007.
- ^ Google Earth coordinates for river's exit from Okanagan Lake. Retrieved April 27, 2007.
- ^ Google Earth elevation for river's exit from Okanagan Lake. Retrieved April 27, 2007.
- ^ USGS; USGS GNIS: Okanogan River; retrieved April 27, 2007.
- ^ Google Earth elevation for mouth of Okanogan River. Retrieved April 27, 2007.
- ^ Okanogan Project - Washington
