Carbon River
| Carbon River | |
| River | |
 The Carbon River near the town of Carbanado. Looking upstream from Fairfax Bridge.
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Washington |
| County | Pierce |
| Tributaries | |
| - left | Voight Creek |
| - right | South Prairie Creek |
| City | Orting |
| Source | Mount Rainier |
| - location | Carbon Glacier |
| - elevation | 3,575 ft (1,090 m) |
| - coordinates | 46°56′38″N 121°47′24″W / 46.94389°N 121.79000°W |
| Mouth | Puyallup River |
| - location | Orting |
| - elevation | 112 ft (34 m) |
| - coordinates | 47°7′50″N 122°13′58″W / 47.13056°N 122.23278°WCoordinates: 47°7′50″N 122°13′58″W / 47.13056°N 122.23278°W |
| Length | 30 mi (48 km) |
| Basin | 78.9 sq mi (204 km2) |
| Discharge | for Fairfax, WA |
| - average | 427 cu ft/s (12 m3/s) |
| - max | 12,000 cu ft/s (340 m3/s) |
| - min | 32 cu ft/s (1 m3/s) |
 The Carbon River is shown highlighted in the Puyallup River watershed
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The Carbon River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. It flows about 30 miles (48 km) from its source, the Carbon Glacier on Mount Rainier, to join the Puyallup River at Orting.
Charles Wilkes called the river the "Upthascap River", but after the discovery of coal along its banks in 1876 the river was renamed "Carbon".
The source of the Carbon River is the Carbon Glacier on the north side of Mount Rainier in the Cascade Range. The river's upper reach is contained within Mount Rainier National Park. Some of the river's headwater tributary streams include Cataract Creek and Spukwush Creek. The Carbon River quickly enters a broad glacial valley in which it deposits thick layers of glacial sediment. This causes the river to meander and become braided.
After flowing by Mother Mountain on the west and Chenuis Mountain on the east, the Carbon River reaches Ipsut Creek and the national park campground of Ipsut Creek Campground. This was also the end of the Carbon River Road entrance to Mount Rainier National Park before the 2006 floods washed out portions of the road. Below Ipsut Creek the Carbon River is joined by Chenuis Creek from the north and Green Creek from the south. Shortly after these confluences the river exits Mount Rainier National Park. Carbon Ridge and its high summit Old Baldy Mountain, lie to the north. Tolmie Creek, flowing down from Tolmie Peak, joins the Carbon River from the south.
Having run generally northwest, the Carbon River turns more directly west until it is joined by Evans Creek just before the small settlement of Fairfax. From Fairfax to Carbonado the Carbon River flows north through a narrow gorge, with Gleason Hill to the east and Wingate Hill to the west.
After passing Carbonado and receiving the tributary Lily Creek, the river valley broadens again and the Carbon River resumes its generally braided and meandering pattern. It turns west, flowing through an increasingly broad floodplain to the town of Crocker, where the river is joined by one of its main tributaries, South Prairie Creek. Just below Crocker another major tributary, Voight Creek, joins.
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Wikipedia