Cedar River (Washington)
| Cedar River | |
| River | |
 Cedar River in 1900
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Washington |
| County | King |
| Tributaries | |
| - left | Rex River |
| Cities | Maple Valley, Renton |
| Source | Cascade Range |
| - elevation | 2,220 ft (677 m) |
| - coordinates | 47°18′47″N 121°31′17″W / 47.31306°N 121.52139°W |
| Mouth | Lake Washington |
| - elevation | 17 ft (5 m) |
| - coordinates | 47°30′2″N 122°12′58″W / 47.50056°N 122.21611°WCoordinates: 47°30′2″N 122°12′58″W / 47.50056°N 122.21611°W |
| Length | 45 mi (72 km) |
| Basin | 184 sq mi (477 km2) |
| Discharge | for Renton |
| - average | 659 cu ft/s (19 m3/s) |
| - max | 10,600 cu ft/s (300 m3/s) |
| - min | 30 cu ft/s (1 m3/s) |
 Map of the Lake Washington drainage basin with the Cedar River highlighted
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  Mouth of the Cedar River in Washington
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The Cedar River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. About 45 miles (72 km) long, it originates in the Cascade Range and flows generally west and northwest, emptying into the southern end of Lake Washington. Its upper watershed is a protected area called the Cedar River Watershed, which provides drinking water for the greater Seattle area.
The Cedar River drains into Puget Sound via Lake Washington and the Lake Washington Ship Canal.
The Cedar River originates in the Cascade Range near Abiel Peak, Meadow Mountain, and Yakima Pass, along the King and Kittitas countyline. Several headwater streams join in the high mountains fed from glacial run-off, then the Cedar River flows generally west. It is impounded in Chester Morse Lake, a natural lake that was dammed in 1900 for use as a water storage reservoir. The Rex River joins the Cedar in Chester Morse Lake, as do the two forks of the Cedar River, the north and south forks.
Below Chester Morse Lake, the Cedar River flows through a smaller lake called Masonry Pool. Below Masonry Pool, the Cedar River flows by two former railroad sites, Bagley Junction and Trude. The river then exits the Cedar River Watershed at Landsburg where pipelines route water to the Seattle area.
Below the Cedar River Watershed area, the river flows west and north, past the cities of Maple Valley and Renton. At Renton, the Cedar River empties into the southern end of Lake Washington. Its waters eventually enter Puget Sound via the Lake Washington Ship Canal.
The upper Cedar River watershed is a protected area called the Cedar River Municipal Watershed. About 90,000 acres (364 km²) in size, it is owned by the City of Seattle. The Cedar River Watershed provides drinking water for 1.4 million people in the greater Seattle area. About two-thirds of King County uses water from the Cedar River Watershed, over 100 million US gallons (380,000 m3) per day. The reservoirs and pipeline infrastructure is owned and operated by Seattle Public Utilities. Public access is restricted and the area is managed as a wilderness in order to protect water quality.
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Wikipedia