American River (Washington)

The American River is a tributary of the Bumping River in Washington. It flows down the east side of the Cascade Range, through Wenatchee National Forest and the William O. Douglas Wilderness.

For other uses, see American River (disambiguation).
American River
The American River along Cougar Lake Trail in the William O. Douglas Wilderness
Location of the mouth of the American River in Washington
American River (Washington) (the United States)
Location
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
RegionYakima County
Physical characteristics
SourceCascade Range
 • coordinates46°49′10″N 121°27′36″W[1]
 • elevation5,241 ft (1,597 m)[2]
MouthBumping River
 • coordinates
46°58′31″N 121°9′24″W[1]
 • elevation
2,765 ft (843 m)[2]
Length20 mi (32 km)[1]
Discharge 
 • locationUSGS gage 12488500 at river mile 0.5[3]
 • average233 cu ft/s (6.6 m3/s)[3]
 • minimum15 cu ft/s (0.42 m3/s)
 • maximum6,280 cu ft/s (178 m3/s)
The American River seen from State Route 410

The American River part of the Columbia River basin, via the Bumping, Naches, and Yakima rivers.

From its source at American Lake, it flows north for several miles, picking up its tributary the Rainier Fork American River, which flows east down from the vicinity of Chinook Pass. State Route 410 crossing Chinook Pass from Mount Rainier National Park, then follows the Rainier Fork and the American River valleys.

After its confluence with Rainier Fork, the American River flows through Pleasant Valley. It joins the Bumping River within the American Forks Campground.

An early name for the American River was Miners Creek. According to historian Gretta Gossett, the river was renamed for the American River in California, "by hopeful miners".[4]

See also

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: American River, USGS, GNIS.
  2. Google Earth elevation for GNIS coordinates.
  3. "Water-Data Report 2008, 12488500 American River near Nile, WA" (PDF). USGS. Retrieved 5 August 2009.
  4. "American River". Washington Place Names database. Tacoma Public Library. Archived from the original on 9 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
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