Elochoman River
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| Elochoman River | |
|---|---|
  Location of the mouth of the Elochoman River in Washington | |
| Etymology | Name of a Cathlamet village[1] |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Pacific |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Elochoman Lake |
| • location | Willapa Hills, Cowlitz County, Washington |
| • coordinates | 46°20′20″N 123°12′43″W / 46.33889°N 123.21194°W[2] |
| • elevation | 1,654 ft (504 m)[2] |
| Mouth | Columbia River |
• location | Elochoman Slough, Wahkiakum County, Washington |
• coordinates | 46°13′35″N 123°24′2″W / 46.22639°N 123.40056°W[3] |
• elevation | 0 ft (0 m)[3] |
| Length | 15 mi (24 km)[3] |
| Basin size | 73 sq mi (190 km2)[4] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | For Mouth |
| • average | 381 cuft/s |
The Elochoman River is a tributary of the Columbia River, in the U.S. state of Washington. It is about 15 miles (24 km) long.[3]
The river's name comes from the name of a Cathlamet (Chinookan) village.[1]
The Elochoman River's headwater's start from Elochoman Lake, in Cowlitz County,[2] from which it flows west for several miles. Joined by the tributary East Fork[5] and North Fork,[6] the main river turns south. After a few miles, the West Fork tributary joins.[7] From there the main Elochoman River flows south and southwest. Its river valley widens into a broad flat bottomland called the Upper Elochoman Valley.[8] Then the river passes through a short but narrow gorge, after which it meanders through the Lower Elochoman Valley.[9]
In its final reach the Elochoman River flows through the sloughs and wetlands of the Columbia River's estuary. The mouth of the river is on Elochoman Slough, a 3-mile (4.8 km) long[10] side-channel of the Columbia River located east of Hunting Islands, northwest of Cathlamet.[4] Much of the lower Elochoman River, Elochoman Slough, and Hunting Island are part of the Columbian White-tailed Deer National Wildlife Refuge.[11]
