| McKenzie River | |
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An island in the upper McKenzie
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Oregon |
| Counties | Lane, Linn |
| Source | Clear Lake |
| - location | Cascade Range |
| - elevation | 3,570 ft (1,088 m) [1] |
| - coordinates | [2] |
| Mouth | Willamette River |
| - elevation | 371 ft (113 m) [2] |
| - coordinates | [2] |
| Length | 90 mi (145 km) [3] |
| Basin | 1,300 sq mi (3,367 km2) [4] |
| Discharge | for river mile 27.7 near Walterville |
| - average | 2,897 cu ft/s (82 m3/s) [5] |
| - max | 56,100 cu ft/s (1,589 m3/s) |
| - min | 420 cu ft/s (12 m3/s) |
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Location of the mouth of the McKenzie River in Oregon
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The McKenzie River is a 90-mile (145 km) tributary of the Willamette River in western Oregon in the United States. It drains part of the Cascade Range east of Eugene and flows into the southernmost end of the Willamette Valley. It is named for Donald MacKenzie, a Scottish Canadian fur trader.[6] There are six large dams on the McKenzie and its tributaries.[7]
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The McKenzie River originates as the outflow of Clear Lake in the high Cascades of eastern Linn County in the Willamette National Forest. Clear Lake is fed by Ikenick Creek and Fish Lake Creek, the latter of which flows from Fish Lake (a few miles north of Clear Lake, in Marion County). Fish Lake's main tributary is Hackieman Creek, which drains the north side of Browder Ridge east of Tombstone Pass. U.S. Route 20 crosses the pass and follows Hackieman Creek. The McKenzie River flows south from Clear Lake, paralleled by Oregon Route 126. It enters Lane County and flows west past McKenzie Bridge. It receives the South Fork McKenzie River approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Blue River. The South Fork rises near the Pacific Crest Trail in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area and flows north-northwest approximately 30 miles (48 km) through Cougar Reservoir and Cougar Dam.
After the South Fork confluence, the main stem McKenzie River flows west through a narrow valley in the mountains, past Vida and Walterville. As it emerges from the mountains it passes along the north side of Springfield and joins the Willamette from the east 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Eugene.[8]
The McKenzie has been home to Native Americans for over 8,000 years.[9] Soon after he had arrived to establish a fur trading post at the mouth of the Columbia River, Donald Mackenzie and others explored the McKenzie and Willamette Rivers in April 1812 as part of an expedition in the Willamette Valley.[10]
Fed by numerous other creeks in the Oregon Cascades, the McKenzie Watershed includes the summit of South Sister, at 10,358 feet (3,157 m), as well as the McKenzie's confluence with the Willamette, at 375 feet (114 m) above sea level.[7] The McKenzie is the sole source of municipal drinking water for Eugene.[11]
The McKenzie River is also home of the McKenzie River Drift Boat. This flat-bottomed boat with a high bow is used throughout the world for fishing in fast moving rivers.
The eastern portion of Oregon Route 126 passes through the valley of the McKenzie River, closely following the river for much of its route. The 60-mile stretch of the river from the edge of the Springfield metro area east to the Cascades is known as the McKenzie Valley.[12] The following communities are located on or near the river and/or the highway in the valley (west to east):