Sammamish River
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Sammamish River Sammamish Slough, Squak Slough |
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 Sammamish River near the springs in Marymoor Park ( Redmond on Lake Sammamish ). |
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| Data | ||
| Water code | US : 1508072 | |
| location | King County , Washington , USA | |
| River system | Lake Washington Ship Canal | |
| Drain over | Lake Washington Ship Canal → Puget Sound | |
| source |
Lake Sammamish 47 ° 39 ′ 9 ″ N , 122 ° 6 ′ 24 ″ W. |
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| Source height | 9 m | |
| muzzle | west of Kenmore in Lake Washington Coordinates: 47 ° 45 ′ 12 " N , 122 ° 15 ′ 30" W 47 ° 45 ′ 12 " N , 122 ° 15 ′ 30" W |
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| Mouth height | 5 m | |
| Height difference | 4 m | |
| Bottom slope | 0.17 ‰ | |
| length | 23 km | |
| Discharge at gauge USGS 12125200 near Woodinville |
NNQ MNQ MHQ |
1 m³ / s 9 m³ / s 80 m³ / s |
The Sammamish River (also known as Sammamish Slough ) flows through northern King County (Washington) for about 14 miles as a drain from Lake Sammamish into Lake Washington . In its course, the Sammamish River flows through Redmond , Woodinville , Bothell and Kenmore .
The river is named after the Sammamish tribe who once lived on its banks.
course
The Sammamish River begins as a drain on the north bank of Lake Sammamish, which in turn is fed by several streams that form the upper reaches of the Sammamish River Basin. The most important of these is Issaquah Creek .
The river flows north through the city of Redmond. The Bear Creek flows to the Sammamish from the east and also contains the outflows of Evans Creek and Cottage Lake Creek.
After passing Redmond and King County's unincorporated areas, the Sammamish reaches Woodinville, where it turns first northwest and then west. Coming from the north, Little Bear Creek flows into the Sammamish at this turning point to the west. The river continues in a loop to the west; He generally adheres to this direction in the further course. In Bothwell, the North Creek near the campus of the University of Washington reaches it from the north, in Kenmore the Swamp Creek .
The Sammamish River reaches Lake Washington west of Kenmore.
The Sammamish River Basin covers an area from Everett in the north to the May Valley in the south. It is part of the larger Lake Washington-Cedar River basin. The total catchment area covers approximately 626 km² and also includes the surface of Lake Sammamish. Big Bear Creek is the largest of the four main tributaries, followed by Little Bear Creek, North Creek, and Swamp Creek. There is also a significant amount of diffuse tributaries that come primarily from the hills and valley west of the river.
Flow corrections
The Sammamish River in the early 20th century was extensively modified as a result of various efforts to use the waterway for shipping, the floodplain for agriculture, and flood protection in the Sammamish River Valley and Lake Sammamish. Before the major changes in hydrology that began in the early 1900s, the river was wider and deeper, and generally flowed more slowly due to the small elevation gain between Lake Sammamish and Lake Washington. Before the modifications, the river was known as Squak Slough (corresponding to a modified pronunciation of the Indian village near Issaquah ). It was navigable along its entire length for flat-bottomed steamboats and was used for rafting and for transporting coal on barges. The mouth of the river was once east of the current one.
Although early efforts to improve drainage and shipping in the early decades of the 20th century may have affected the shape and function of the river, the most dramatic changes stemmed from two large federally funded shipping and flood control projects. The first major change came in 1916 as a result of the lowering of the mean water level and the reduction in seasonal fluctuations at Lake Washington as part of the development of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and the Ballard Lock System, which officially opened on June 16, 1917. This ended up increasing the elevation difference between Lake Sammamish and Lake Washington, and thus the flow rate of the river. It also moved the mouth of the river to the west.
The second major change resulted from a King County and ACOE project to channel and straighten rivers . The project was completed in 1964 and included the construction of a weir on the outflow of Lake Sammamish. This project has practically eliminated the risk of flooding in the Sammamish River Valley and reduced the maximum water heights and seasonal water level fluctuations in Lake Sammamish. The weir was modified in 1998 to facilitate the migration of anadromous salmon at low tide.
nature
The Sammamish River is a trail of various salmon and trout species , including king salmon , silver salmon , sockeye salmon , steelhead rainbow trout, and coastal cutthroat trout . The King County government is currently restoring fish habitats throughout the river.
Various species of birds and mammals are commonly seen along the river, including waterfowl such as Canada goose , ducks, and great blue herons . Bald eagles and beavers are also common near rivers.
recreation
The Sammamish River Trail is a paved bike and walking path that follows the course of the river from Marymoor Park in Redmond to Bothell, where it joins the Burke-Gilman Trail to Seattle . The river is the main geographic feature of the Wayne Golf Course in Bothell. It is also home to the Sammamish Rowing Association, a nonprofit rowing club that offers recreational and sport rowing for high school and adult athletes on the east bank.
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Water Resources Data-Washington Water Year 2005; Lake Washington Basins . USGS . Retrieved August 3, 2009.
- ↑ " The Sammamish Watershed ." King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks. Retrieved May 9, 2008.
- ↑ " Known Freshwater Distribution of Salmon and Trout for WRIA 8 (Greater Lake Washington Watershed) ." King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
- ↑ " Willowmoor Reach Restoration ." King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
Web links
- Sammamish basin (English)
- US Geological Survey - query form on Geographical Names (English)