Lewis and Clark River

The Lewis and Clark River is a tributary of Youngs River, approximately 20 miles (32 km) long, in northwest Oregon in the United States. It drains 62 square miles (160 km²) of the Northern Oregon Coast Range in the extreme northwest corner of the state, entering Youngs River just above its mouth on the Columbia River at Youngs Bay. Near the river's mouth is the site of former Fort Clatsop of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The river is named for Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

Lewis and Clark River
Lewis and Clark River near its source at Saddle Mountain
Location of the mouth of the Lewis and Clark River in Oregon
Etymology	Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
Location
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Clatsop
Physical characteristics
Source	Northern Oregon Coast Range
• location	Saddle Mountain, Clatsop County, Oregon
• coordinates	45°57′49″N 123°38′21″W[1]
• elevation	2,100 ft (640 m)[2]
Mouth	Youngs River
• location	Youngs Bay, Clatsop County, Oregon
• coordinates	46°10′6″N 123°51′47″W[1]
• elevation	3 ft (0.91 m)[1]
Length	20 mi (32 km)
Basin size	62 sq mi (160 km^2)[3]

History and parks

The river was called the Netul River by Lewis and Clark and the Native American Clatsop people who were living in the area at the time. It continued to be known as the Netul River until 1925, when it was renamed to honor Lewis and Clark.[4] The river flows through Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, which was designated as a National Historical Park in 2004.

Fish

The river is home to bottom-feeding sturgeon, which is a popular sport fish in the area. It is also home to an extensive salmon repopulation program, just outside Astoria, Oregon proper, that is currently run by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The salmon fry, called "fingerlings" can be seen writhing and jumping within their net-lined pens along the river's eastern banks. The river also supports runs of wild steelhead and cutthroat trout.

See also

• Skipanon River
• List of rivers of Oregon
• List of tributaries of the Columbia River

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lewis and Clark River
2. Source elevation derived from USGS topo map (Note: the source coordinates provided by the USGS GNIS webpage are clearly wrong.
3. "Watershed Boundary Dataset". United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
4. Wesselius, Allen. "A Lasting Legacy: The Lewis and Clark Place Names of the Pacific Northwest - Part IV". Columbia Magazine. Retrieved May 13, 2009.