Coast Fork Willamette River

The Coast Fork Willamette River is one of two forks that unite to form the Willamette River in western Oregon in the United States. It is about 40 miles (64 km) long, draining an area of the mountains at the south end of the Willamette Valley south of Eugene.

Coast Fork Willamette River
The Coast Fork Willamette River
Map of the Willamette River basin with the Coast Fork highlighted
Coast Fork Willamette River is located in Oregon
Coast Fork Willamette River
Location of the mouth of the Coast Fork Willamette River in Oregon
EtymologyWillamette is from a similar Clackamas Indian village name[2]
Location
CountryUnited States
StateOregon
CountyLane
Physical characteristics
SourceConfluence of Big River and Garoutte Creek
 • locationCalapooya Mountains, Oregon
 • coordinates43°35′44″N 123°4′4″W / 43.59556°N 123.06778°W / 43.59556; -123.06778[1]
 • elevation990 ft (300 m)[3]
MouthWillamette River
 • location
near Eugene and Springfield, Oregon
 • coordinates
44°1′23″N 123°1′25″W / 44.02306°N 123.02361°W / 44.02306; -123.02361[1]
 • elevation
436 ft (133 m)[1]
Length40 mi (64 km)[4]
Basin size666 sq mi (1,720 km2)[5]
Discharge 
 • locationGoshen, 6.4 miles (10.3 km) from the mouth[6]
 • average1,558 cu ft/s (44.1 m3/s)[7]
 • minimum36 cu ft/s (1.0 m3/s)
 • maximum58,500 cu ft/s (1,660 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • rightRow River

Course

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The Coast Fork Willamette River is formed in southwestern Lane County, in the Calapooya Mountains, by the confluence of the Little River and the Big River. The Coast Fork flows north through the mountains, through the Cottage Grove Lake reservoir, to Cottage Grove, where it receives the Row River from the southeast. It continues north past Creswell and joins the Middle Fork from the south, about 2 miles (3 km) southeast of Eugene, to form the Willamette.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Coast Fork Willamette River". Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  2. ^ Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. p. 567. ISBN 978-0-8061-3598-4.
  3. ^ Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.
  4. ^ United States Geological Survey (USGS). "United States Geological Survey Topographic Map: Harness Mountain, Oregon, Quadrant". TopoQuest. Retrieved August 3, 2010. The map includes river-mile markers from mouth to source.
  5. ^ "Coast Fork Willamette". Willamette Riverkeeper. Archived from the original on August 7, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  6. ^ "Water-data report 2009: 14157500 Coast Fork Willamette River near Goshen, OR" (pdf). United States Geological Survey. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  7. ^ "Water-data report 2009: 14157500 Coast Fork Willamette River near Goshen, OR" (pdf). United States Geological Survey. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
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