Nooksack River
Nooksack River | ||
Water code | US : 1523714 | |
location | Whatcom County , Washington (USA) | |
River system | Nooksack River | |
origin | Confluence of the North and Middle Fork Nooksack Rivers in the Cascade Range 48 ° 50 ′ 2 ″ N , 122 ° 9 ′ 19 ″ W |
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Source height | 1104 m | |
muzzle | to Bellingham Bay coordinates: 48 ° 46 '29 " N , 122 ° 35' 57" W 48 ° 46 '29 " N , 122 ° 35' 57" W. |
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Mouth height | 0 m | |
Height difference | 1104 m | |
Bottom slope | 9.2 ‰ | |
length | 120 km (including North Fork) | |
Catchment area | 2036 km², of which 126 km² in Canada | |
Drain |
MQ |
108 m³ / s |
Left tributaries | Wells Creek, Glacier Creek, Middle Fork Nooksack River, South Fork Nooksack River | |
Right tributaries | Canyon Creek | |
Small towns | Ferndale , Marietta | |
River basin of the Nooksack River |
North Fork Nooksack River | ||
Water code | US : 1523812 | |
location | Whatcom County | |
source | north of Mount Shuksan in the western part of the North Cascades National Park 48 ° 50 ′ 0 ″ N , 121 ° 33 ′ 18 ″ W |
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confluence | with the middle fork to the Nooksack River 48 ° 50 ′ 2 ″ N , 122 ° 9 ′ 18 ″ W
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length | approx. 80 km |
Middle Fork Nooksack River | ||
Water code | US : 1523077 | |
location | Whatcom County | |
source | on the south flank of Mount Baker 48 ° 44 ′ 32 ″ N , 121 ° 52 ′ 6 ″ W.
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length | approx. 32 km (20 miles ) |
South Fork Nooksack River | ||
Water code | US : 1526222 | |
location | Whatcom and Skagit County | |
source | on Bell Pass east of Twin Sisters Mountain in Whatcom County 48 ° 42 ′ 19 ″ N , 121 ° 54 ′ 53 ″ W |
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muzzle | below Acme in the Nooksack River 48 ° 48 ′ 31 ″ N , 122 ° 12 ′ 6 ″ W
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length | approx. 80 km (50 miles) |
The Nooksack River is a 120 km long river in the northwest of the US state Washington .
It drains part of the Cascade Range around Mount Baker on the Canadian border . The river flows through a fertile, agricultural area on its lower reaches before flowing into Bellingham Bay , which is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia .
At its upper reaches the river is formed by a southern, a middle and a northern source river ( English fork ), whereby the northern one is often added to the main river. Together with the northern source river, the Nooksack River has a length of 120 km. All three have their origins in the area around Mount Baker .
Run
The Nooksack River arises from three source rivers :
North Fork
The northern source river, the North Fork Nooksack River, rises in the center of Whatcom County north of Mount Shuksan in the western part of the North Cascades National Park . It flows generally westward, passing Mount Baker northward. The Washington State Route 542 follows the major part of the river.
At Nooksack Falls, the North Fork flows through a narrow valley and then falls almost 30 meters into a rocky canyon. As it travels west, the arm collects water from various tributaries - these include Wells Creek, Glacier Creek, and Canyon Creek - before the river briefly turns south. Within a few kilometers, the South and Middle Fork meet . From the confluence of the Middle Fork , the river is commonly called the Nooksack River . The South Fork connects at Deming in the reservation area of the Nooksack .
Middle fork
The middle source river, the Middle Fork Nooksack River, is about 32 km long and has its origin on the southern flank of Mount Baker at Baker Pass . It follows a steady northwest course between Mount Baker and Twin Sisters Mountain .
South Fork
The approximately 80 km long southern headwaters, the South Fork Nooksack River, rises in the south of Whatcom County , east of the Twin Sisters Mountain near the Lake Wiseman at the Bell Pass . This headwaters first flows briefly south and reaches Skagit County before turning northwest and then north, returning to Whatcom County and flowing past Acme .
Nooksack River
After the unification of all three source rivers flowing Nooksack River northwestward out of the mountains and passes Everson and Lynden what he swings to the southwest and at Ferndale finally south to the north shore of Bellingham Bay in the reserve of Lummi about 5 km west of Bellingham to To flow into the sea.
Changes to the course of the river
Near the springs and at Nooksack Falls , the river powers a number of hydroelectric plants . The Middle Fork will also be dammed to divert drinking water for the city of Bellingham .
At the end of the 19th century, most of the river water flowed over the bed of what is now the short Lummi River into Lummi Bay , which is northwest of Bellingham Bay . At about the turn of the century, the trunks of a raft clogged this narrow channel, forcing the river to find another bed. The formation of a new river delta has been the subject of scientific research into the new wetlands , while the former delta at Lummi Bay is now only flooded during floods.
Hydrography
The United States Geological Survey operates a gauge in Ferndale . The average annual runoff there is 108 m³ / s. The highest recorded value was 1370 m³ / s on November 10, 1990, the lowest water volume of 13 m³ / s was measured on October 26, and November 9 and 10, 1987.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c Nooksack River ( July 2, 2004 memento on the Internet Archive ), The Columbia Gazetteer of North America.
- ↑ a b United States Geological Survey . Water Resource Data, Washington. 2005. Nooksack River Basin (PDF; 1.9 MB)
- ↑ a b Middle Fork Nooksack River in the Geographic Names Information System of the United States Geological Survey
- ^ A b South Fork Nooksack River in the Geographic Names Information System of the United States Geological Survey
- ↑ Nooksack River in the Geographic Names Information System of the United States Geological Survey
- ^ North Fork Nooksack River in the Geographic Names Information System of the United States Geological Survey