Lewis River (Washington)
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The Lewis River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 95 miles (153 km) long, in southwestern Washington in the United States. It drains part of the Cascade Range north of the Columbia River.
Unlike nearby Lewis County and Fort Lewis the Lewis River was not named for Meriwether Lewis, but rather for A. Lee Lewis, an early settler who homesteaded near the mouth of the river.[1]
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[edit] Course
The Lewis River rises in the Cascades in northeastern Skamania County, east of Mount Adams, approximately 75 miles (120 km) northeast of Portland, Oregon. It flows generally southwest through Gifford Pinchot National Forest, across central Skamania county, passing south of Mount St. Helens. It forms the boundary between Cowlitz County, to the north, and Clark County, to the south. Towns along the river include Cougar, Ariel, and Woodland. In its lower 10 mi les (16 km), it turns sharply south, then west, and enters the Columbia from the east, opposite St. Helens, Oregon, approximately 15 miles (24 km) north of Vancouver, Washington.
Near the confluence with the Columbia River the Lewis River is joined by the East Fork Lewis River. The main Lewis River, sometimes called the North Fork Lewis River,[2] forms the boundary between Clark and Cowlitz counties while the East Fork divides Clark County in half. The East Fork flows from headwaters located on the western flanks of Lookout Mountain in Skamaina County westward. Located along the East Forks are notable parks such as Moulton Falls, Lucia Falls, Lewisville, and Paradise Point. A variant name of the East Fork is the South Fork Lewis River.[3]
[edit] River modifications
It is impounded for hydroelectricity in its middle course to form Swift Reservoir, Yale Lake, and Lake Merwin, a chain of reservoirs.
[edit] References
- ^ Phillips, James W. (1971). Washington State Place Names. University of Washington Press. ISBN 0-295-95158-3.
- ^ USGS GNIS: Lewis River, USGS GNIS entry
- ^ USGS GNIS: East Fork Lewis River, USGS GNIS entry
