Clallam River
Encyclopedia
The Clallam River is a river in the U.S. state
of Washington. The river is over 15.7 miles (25.3 km) long. Nearby and similar rivers include the Pysht River
and Hoko River
.
near Ellis Mountain. It flows generally north collecting tributaries such as Blowder Creek, Charley Creek, Last Creek, and Pearson Creek before emptying into Clallam Bay, part of the Strait of Juan de Fuca
. The community of Clallam Bay
is located at the river's mouth.
, Chum
, and Chinook salmon
as well as Steelhead
and Cutthroat trout
.
The Clallam River is unusual in that sands and gravels frequently block the river's mouth. The river's lower course runs parallel to the sea, behind the gravel bars. Over the years the river repeatedly breaks through the barrier in different places, usually during periods of high stream flow. Sometimes migrating fish are trapped behind gravel barriers at the river's mouth. In July 1998 significant numbers of Steelhead trout were trapped in this way. The Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition had a channel cleared through the gravel bar, allowing the fish to escape.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington. The river is over 15.7 miles (25.3 km) long. Nearby and similar rivers include the Pysht River
Pysht River
The Pysht River is a stream in the U.S. state of Washington. It originates near Ellis Mountain in the northern Olympic Mountains on the Olympic Peninsula and flows generally north, emptying into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Pysht and nearby Hoko River are the two largest streams flowing into...
and Hoko River
Hoko River
The Hoko River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. It originates in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains, and runs about to the Pacific Ocean through a rugged landscape that has been heavily logged. Its largest tributary is the Little Hoko River, which joins at river mile . The lower of...
.
Course
The Clallam River originates in the Olympic MountainsOlympic Mountains
The Olympic Mountains is a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of western Washington in the United States. The mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are not especially high - Mount Olympus is the highest at - but the western slopes of the Olympics rise directly out of the Pacific...
near Ellis Mountain. It flows generally north collecting tributaries such as Blowder Creek, Charley Creek, Last Creek, and Pearson Creek before emptying into Clallam Bay, part of the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...
. The community of Clallam Bay
Clallam Bay, Washington
Clallam Bay is an unincorporated community in Clallam County, Washington, United States, at the confluence of the Clallam River and Clallam Bay. Known for its natural beauty and hunting, Clallam Bay is partially reliant on tourism. Clallam Bay is considered the twin city of nearby...
is located at the river's mouth.
Natural history
The Clallam River supports populations of CohoCoho salmon
The Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". It is the state animal of Chiba, Japan.-Description:...
, Chum
Chum salmon
The chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. It is a Pacific salmon, and may also be known as dog salmon or Keta salmon, and is often marketed under the name Silverbrite salmon...
, and Chinook salmon
Chinook salmon
The Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is the largest species in the pacific salmon family. Other commonly used names for the species include King salmon, Quinnat salmon, Spring salmon and Tyee salmon...
as well as Steelhead
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
and Cutthroat trout
Cutthroat trout
The cutthroat trout is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is one of the many fish species colloquially known as trout...
.
The Clallam River is unusual in that sands and gravels frequently block the river's mouth. The river's lower course runs parallel to the sea, behind the gravel bars. Over the years the river repeatedly breaks through the barrier in different places, usually during periods of high stream flow. Sometimes migrating fish are trapped behind gravel barriers at the river's mouth. In July 1998 significant numbers of Steelhead trout were trapped in this way. The Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition had a channel cleared through the gravel bar, allowing the fish to escape.