Applegate River

Applegate River
Applegate Lake on the Applegate River
Name origin: Named after Lindsay Applegate, part of a group that prospected along the river in 1848
Country	United States
States	Oregon, California
County	Siskiyou in California and Jackson and Josephine in Oregon
Source	Confluence of Butte Fork Applegate River and Middle Fork Applegate River
- location	Siskiyou Mountains, Siskiyou County, California
- elevation	2,534 ft (772 m)
- coordinates	41°58′23″N 123°11′08″W / 41.97306°N 123.18556°W / 41.97306; -123.18556
Mouth	Rogue River
- location	about 6 miles (10 km) west of Grants Pass, Josephine County, Oregon
- elevation	850 ft (259 m)
- coordinates	42°25′44″N 123°26′59″W / 42.42889°N 123.44972°W / 42.42889; -123.44972Coordinates: 42°25′44″N 123°26′59″W / 42.42889°N 123.44972°W / 42.42889; -123.44972
Length	51 mi (82 km)
Basin	698 sq mi (1,807.8 km2)
Discharge	for near Wilderville, 7.6 miles (12.2 km) from the mouth
- average	720 cu ft/s (20 m3/s)
- max	47,500 cu ft/s (1,345 m3/s)
- min	0.78 cu ft/s (0 m3/s)
Location of the mouth of the Applegate River in Oregon
The Applegate River watershed

Jackson and Josephine in Oregon

The Applegate River is a 51-mile (82 km)-long tributary of the Rogue River in the U.S. state of Oregon. It drains approximately 698 square miles (1,810 km²). Rising in northern California, it soon crosses the border and flows northeast then northwest to meet the Rogue about 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Grants Pass. It drains forested foothills of the Siskiyou Mountains along the Oregon–California border.

The Applegate River's headwaters are located in the Siskiyou Mountains in California, part of the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest. The water collects from snowmelt and springs. The Siskiyou area receives from 17 to 40 inches (430 to 1,020 mm) of precipitation annually. The river then flows north through a steep canyon past the Oregon-California border, receiving water from Elliot Creek. Elliot Creek begins near Dutchman Peak in Oregon, before flowing southwest into California, roughly paralleling the border. It joins the Applegate just before it enters Oregon. This area saw major floods in 1964 and 1974, before the Applegate Dam was constructed.

The river is impounded by Applegate Dam several miles into Oregon, forming the 988-acre (4.00 km²) Applegate Lake. The United States Army Corps of Engineers began construction of the dam in 1974, and it was completed in 1980. The lake nearly extends to California. The purpose of the lake is to provide irrigation and flood control for the Applegate Valley. The community of Copper was inundated by the rising waters of the lake, and is now over 100 feet (30 m) below lake level.