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Chetco River

Chetco River
A large, rushing stream with rocks strewn in and around it. Gravel and sparse vegetation cover its steep banks, and conifers grow on the hills above.
Chetco River near Boulder Creek
Name origin: Named after the Chetco Native Americans
Country United States
State Oregon
County Curry County
Source Northwest of Chetco Peak
 - location Oregon Coast Range, Curry County, Oregon
 - elevation 3,201 ft (976 m)
 - coordinates 42°07′47″N 123°52′39″W / 42.12972°N 123.87750°W / 42.12972; -123.87750 
Mouth Pacific Ocean
 - location Brookings, Curry County, Oregon
 - elevation 0 ft (0 m)
 - coordinates 42°02′43″N 124°16′14″W / 42.04528°N 124.27056°W / 42.04528; -124.27056Coordinates: 42°02′43″N 124°16′14″W / 42.04528°N 124.27056°W / 42.04528; -124.27056 
Length 56 mi (90 km)
Basin 352 sq mi (912 km2)
Discharge for river mile 10.7 (river kilometer 17.2)
 - average 2,263 cu ft/s (64.1 m3/s)
 - max 85,400 cu ft/s (2,418.3 m3/s) (December 22, 1964)
 - min 42 cu ft/s (1.2 m3/s) (October 14, 1987)
A map showing the terrain of the Chetco River region. The Pacific Ocean is located to the west, Oregon to the north, and California to the south. The Chetco River is located north of the larger Klamath River and the town of Crescent City, and west of the Siskiyou Mountains.
The Chetco River begins near Chetco Peak, and flows north. Collecting minor tributaries, it passes Pearsol Peak to the east and Vulcan Peak to the south. It turns west, then southwest, flowing south of Bosley Butte and north of Mount Emily. Finally, it empties into the Pacific Ocean between the cities of Brookings and Harbor. The watershed is located completely within Curry County.
The Chetco River watershed

The Chetco River is a 56-mile-long (90 km) stream located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Oregon. It drains approximately 352 square miles (912 km2) of Curry County. Flowing through a rugged and isolated coastal region, it descends rapidly from about 3,200 feet (975 m) to sea level at the Pacific Ocean. Except for the lowermost 5 miles (8 km), the river is located entirely within the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest. The river rises in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, northwest of Chetco Peak at the junction of the Oregon Coast Range and the Klamath Mountains. It flows generally north, west, and then southwest, before emptying into the ocean between Brookings and Harbor, approximately 6 miles (10 km) north of the California state line. The Chetco River's watershed remains largely undeveloped, protected by the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest and the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. The upper 45 miles (72 km) of the river have been designated Wild and Scenic since 1988.

Native Americans have lived in the Chetco River's watershed for the last one to three thousand years. Several explorers, including Sir Francis Drake, George Vancouver, and Jedediah Smith, visited the region between the 16th and 19th centuries, and found the Chetco people inhabiting the area. Non-indigenous settlers arrived soon after gold and other precious metals were discovered in the 1840s and 1850s. The town of Brookings was founded in the early 20th century, and incorporated in 1951. Fourteen thousand residents of Brookings and Harbor rely on the Chetco for drinking water.


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Wikipedia

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