Skagit River

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Skagit River
Catchment area and course of the river

Catchment area and course of the river

Data
Water code US1525850
location British Columbia (Canada),
Washington (USA)
River system Skagit River
Headwaters Allison Pass in the Northern Cascade Range
49 ° 7 ′ 23 ″  N , 120 ° 52 ′ 39 ″  W
Source height 1366  m
Split into North Fork and South Fork Skagit River Coordinates: 48 ° 23 '14 "  N , 122 ° 22' 1"  W 48 ° 23 '14 "  N , 122 ° 22' 1"  W.
Mouth height m
Height difference 1363 m
Bottom slope 5.7 ‰
length 241 km
Catchment area 8013 km²
Discharge at the gauge near Mt. Vernon
A Eo : 8010 km²
Location: 13 km above the mouth
MQ 1941/2017
Mq 1941/2017
471 m³ / s
58.8 l / (s km²)
Left tributaries Sauk River , Cascade River
Right tributaries Sumallo River , Klesilkwa River , Baker River
Reservoirs flowed through Ross Lake , Diablo Lake , Gorge Lake
Medium-sized cities Mount Vernon
Skagit River at Mount Vernon

Skagit River at Mount Vernon

Gorge Lake - reservoir on the Skagit River

Gorge Lake - reservoir on the Skagit River

The Skagit River ( ˈskædʒɨt ) is an approximately 240 km long river in the southwest of the Canadian province of British Columbia and in the northwest of the US state Washington .

course

The origin of the river is in the Canadian part of the Northern Cascade Mountains , where it rises in Manning Provincial Park . After initially running parallel to the Crowsnest Highway in a north-westerly direction , it turns south when it reaches the Skagit Range and flows through the Skagit Valley Provincial Park to flow into Ross Lake near the border with the United States , the first of three in the Reservoirs created as part of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project . The following smaller reservoirs are Diablo Lake and Gorge Lake. All three reservoirs are in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area .

In the further course the valley widens and reaches the coastal plain at Sedro-Woolley . At Mount Vernon the river, which after leaving Ross Lake mainly flows to the west, turns to the south and splits into the North Fork Skagit River and the South Fork Skagit River after about 240 kilometers . Both estuary arms are about 11 km long and flow into the Puget Sound .

The most important tributaries of the Skagit River, whose river system drains an area of ​​8013 km² on the western slope of the Northern Cascade Range, are

in Canada:

in the United States:

Hydrology

The mean discharge of the Skagit River near the mouth is 471 m³ / s. The highest runoffs usually occur in June. The outflows do not fluctuate very much over the year.

Dams

As part of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project , three dams were built on the Skagit, primarily to supply the city of Seattle with electricity. The first dam was built in 1924. The water was diverted through the mountains to an electricity station in Newhalem. In 1961, the much larger Gorge High Dam was built on the same site . It serves to fine-tune the water level.

The larger reservoirs were formed by the dams located further up, especially the Diablo and Ross Lake Dam . The reservoir of the Ross dam, the Ross Lake is 39 km long and extends into Canada.

Web links

Commons : Skagit River  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. USGS 12200570 SKAGIT RIVER NEAR SKAGIT CITY, WA
  2. a b c d USGS 12200500 SKAGIT RIVER NEAR MOUNT VERNON, WA