Sandy River (Oregon)
| Sandy River | |
 Sandy River and Mount Hood
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| Name origin: Named Quicksand River in 1805 by Lewis and Clark because of "emence quantitys of sand" at the mouth; apparently shortened to Sandy River locally by 1845–50 | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Oregon |
| County | Clackamas County, Multnomah County |
| Source | Mount Hood |
| - elevation | 5,225 ft (1,593 m) |
| - coordinates | 45°22′32″N 121°43′45″W / 45.37556°N 121.72917°W |
| Mouth | Columbia River |
| - location | near Troutdale, Multnomah County, Oregon |
| - elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
| - coordinates | 45°34′05″N 122°24′03″W / 45.56806°N 122.40083°WCoordinates: 45°34′05″N 122°24′03″W / 45.56806°N 122.40083°W |
| Length | 57 mi (92 km) |
| Basin | 508 sq mi (1,316 km2) |
| Discharge | for near Dodge Park, 18.4 miles (29.6 km) from mouth |
| - average | 2,300 cu ft/s (65 m3/s) |
| - max | 84,400 cu ft/s (2,390 m3/s) |
| - min | 45 cu ft/s (1 m3/s) |
  Location of the mouth of the Sandy River in Oregon
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The Sandy River is a 56-mile (90 km) tributary of the Columbia River in northwestern Oregon in the United States. The Sandy joins the Columbia about 14 miles (23 km) upstream of Portland.
Issuing from Reid Glacier on the southwest flanks of Mount Hood in the Cascade Range, the Sandy River flows generally west and then north for 57 miles (92 km) through Clackamas County and Multnomah County to the Columbia River at Troutdale. In its first 12 miles (19 km), the Sandy River flows across Old Maid Flat, north of Zigzag Mountain in the Mount Hood Wilderness of the Mount Hood National Forest. In this initial stretch near the headwaters, it receives Rushing Water Creek from the left, Muddy Fork from the right, then Lost Creek and Horseshoe Creek from the left, and crosses under Lolo Pass Road just before receiving Clear Creek from the right. At about 41 miles (66 km) from the mouth, the Zigzag River enters from the left near the unincorporated community of Zigzag. From here the river runs roughly parallel to U.S. Route 26, which is on its left for about the next 20 miles (32 km). Just below Zigzag, the Sandy River passes the unincorporated community of Wemme on the left.
At about 39 miles (63 km) from the mouth, the river receives Hackett Creek from the right, passes the unincorporated community of Brightwood shortly thereafter, and receives North Boulder Creek from the right. Barlow Trail County Park and remnants of the Barlow Road lie to the right along this stretch of the river. Between 38 miles (61 km) and 37 miles (60 km) from the mouth, the Salmon River enters from the left. Roughly 4 miles (6.4 km) later, Wildcat Creek enters from the left and then Alder Creek and Whiskey Creek, also from the left. The river passes the Marmot gauging station operated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with Portland General Electric at river mile (RM) 29.8 (river kilometer (RK) 48.0). The unincorporated community of Marmot lies to the right of the river on a ridge—the Devil's Backbone—separating the Sandy River from the Little Sandy River to the north.
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Wikipedia