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Green River (Washington)
Encyclopedia
The Green River is a 65 miles (104.6 km) long river in the state of Washington in the United States
, arising on the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains south of I-90.
The upper Green River valley forms the western approach to Stampede Pass
, and was once home to many small railroad and logging towns such as Weston
, Lester
, Green River Hot Springs, Nagrom
, Maywood, Humphreys, Eagle Gorge, Lemolo, and Kanaskat. Shortly before World War One, the City of Tacoma, Washington
, filed for water rights on the Green River. Today, much of the upper valley has become a gated water supply
watershed for Tacoma and access is heavily restricted.
Between 1880 and 1888, the Northern Pacific Railway explored and surveyed the Green River. The railway constructed the first direct rail link across Washington's Cascade Range
with the opening of their Stampede Tunnel in 1888.
Until 1906, the Green River flowed into the White
in downtown Auburn
. In 1906, however, the White River changed course above Auburn following a major flood and emptied into the Puyallup River
as it does today. The lower portion of the historic White River—from historic confluence of the White and Green Rivers to the historic confluence with the Black River
at Tukwila
that forms the Duwamish—is now considered part of the Green River. Then, with the opening of the Lake Washington Ship Canal
in 1916, the lake's level dropped nearly nine feet and the Black River dried up. From that time forward, the point of the name change from Green to Duwamish is no longer a confluence of rivers, though it has not changed location. Thus, the Green River now becomes the Duwamish River, flowing into the industrialized estuary
known as the Duwamish Waterway and thence Elliott Bay
in Seattle. By contrast, the White turns south at Auburn, and flows into the Puyallup River and later Commencement Bay
in Tacoma
.
Most of the river above and including Howard A. Hanson Reservoir
are part of the Green River Watershed, which is closed to public access. West of the Green River Watershed at Kanaskat, the river passes through the Green River Gorge with cliffs rising sharply as much as 300 feet (91.4 m) from the riverbed. Flaming Geyser State Park
, Nolte State Park
, and Kanaskat-Palmer State Park
are located in this area.
Downstream from the Green River Gorge is the half-mile wide Green River Valley, where farmland has been protected from development. An attempt to locate a bike trail along the valley walls has encountered fierce resistance from farmers. As a result, bikes must share the road with autos as it winds through the pastoral landscape.
At Auburn, the Green River emerges from the Green River Valley and enters the much larger Auburn/Kent Valley, which was created by glacial action during the Pleistocene
ice ages, then filled in by river sediments and lahar
s from Mount Rainier
. After flowing generally west from its source, at Auburn the river turns north, entering a zone of light-industrial and retail development. A public multiuse trail
runs along the river through most of this valley.
through Kent and the Green River Trail was closed up to five years. Weaknesses in the Hanson Dam
upstream has made flooding more of a possibility during an anticipated wetter than usual winter 2010/2011. Dam resilience is unpredictable and the possibility of flood hazard has been announced. Repair on the dam has reduced flood threat significantly and the Army Corps of Engineers continues work to strengthen the partially earthen dam.
Gary Leon Ridgway were found in the early 1980s. Most of these victims were prostitutes found along the Pacific Highway. Although only a few bodies were found in the river, the unidentified killer was known as the "Green River Killer". These murders went unsolved for over 20 years. For many years, Dave Reichert
led the investigation as a detective of the King County Sheriff's Office. Ridgway made a plea agreement with King County Prosecuting Attorney Norm Maleng
to cooperate with police in order to escape execution
. In November 2003, Gary Ridgway plead guilty to 48 counts of Aggravated First Degree Murder. King County Superior Court Judge Richard A. Jones
sentenced Ridgway to 48 consecutive life sentences; Ridgway will never be eligible for parole
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, arising on the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains south of I-90.
The upper Green River valley forms the western approach to Stampede Pass
Stampede Pass
Stampede Pass is a mountain pass through the Cascade Range just south of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington.-Discovery of the Pass:The pass was discovered by Virgil Bogue, a civil engineer working for the Northern Pacific Railway...
, and was once home to many small railroad and logging towns such as Weston
Weston, Washington
Weston, Washington, began life sometime in 1887. Not much is known about this tiny railway town other than at some point it was home to some railway facilities for the Northern Pacific Railway, including a possible turntable, a roundhouse for extra steam engines to help trains to get up the steep...
, Lester
Lester, Washington
Lester was a small town near Stampede Pass, just south of Snoqualmie Pass in King County, founded in 1892 by the Northern Pacific Railway ....
, Green River Hot Springs, Nagrom
Nagrom, Washington
Nagrom was a town in King County . A logging company town, Nagrom was located in the Green River watershed between Enumclaw and Lester. The town was built by the Morgan Lumber Company and named after E. G. Morgan, the company founder and owner...
, Maywood, Humphreys, Eagle Gorge, Lemolo, and Kanaskat. Shortly before World War One, the City of Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, filed for water rights on the Green River. Today, much of the upper valley has become a gated water supply
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
watershed for Tacoma and access is heavily restricted.
Between 1880 and 1888, the Northern Pacific Railway explored and surveyed the Green River. The railway constructed the first direct rail link across Washington's Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
with the opening of their Stampede Tunnel in 1888.
Until 1906, the Green River flowed into the White
White River (Washington)
The White River is a white, glacial river in the U.S. state of Washington. It flows about 75 miles from its source, the Emmons Glacier on Mount Rainier, to join the Puyallup River at Sumner...
in downtown Auburn
Auburn, Washington
-Parks:Auburn has an extensive system of parks, open space and urban trails comprising 29 developed parks, 5 undeveloped sites under planning, 2 skate parks, 2 water roatary parks, and over of trails , and almost of open space for passive and active recreation.-Environmental Park:The Auburn...
. In 1906, however, the White River changed course above Auburn following a major flood and emptied into the Puyallup River
Puyallup River
The Puyallup River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. About long, it is formed by glaciers on the west side of Mount Rainier. It flows generally northwest, emptying into Commencement Bay, part of Puget Sound...
as it does today. The lower portion of the historic White River—from historic confluence of the White and Green Rivers to the historic confluence with the Black River
Black River (Duwamish River)
The Black River, also known as the Duwamish River, was a river in King County in the U.S. state of Washington. It drained Lake Washington until 1916 when the opening of the Lake Washington Ship Canal lowered the lake, causing the Black River to dry up...
at Tukwila
Tukwila, Washington
Tukwila is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The northern edge of Tukwila borders the city of Seattle. The population was 19,107 at the 2010 census.-History:...
that forms the Duwamish—is now considered part of the Green River. Then, with the opening of the Lake Washington Ship Canal
Lake Washington Ship Canal
The Lake Washington Ship Canal, which runs through the City of Seattle, Washington, connects the fresh water body of Lake Washington with the salt water inland sea of Puget Sound. The Ship Canal includes a series of locks, modeled after the Panama Canal, to accommodate the different water levels...
in 1916, the lake's level dropped nearly nine feet and the Black River dried up. From that time forward, the point of the name change from Green to Duwamish is no longer a confluence of rivers, though it has not changed location. Thus, the Green River now becomes the Duwamish River, flowing into the industrialized estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
known as the Duwamish Waterway and thence Elliott Bay
Elliott Bay
Elliott Bay is the body of water on which Seattle, Washington, is located. A line drawn from Alki Point in the south to West Point in the north serves to mark the generally accepted division between the bay and the open sound...
in Seattle. By contrast, the White turns south at Auburn, and flows into the Puyallup River and later Commencement Bay
Commencement Bay
Commencement Bay is a bay of Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. The city of Tacoma is located on the bay, with the Port of Tacoma occupying the southeastern end. A line drawn from Point Defiance in the southwest to Browns Point in the northeast serves to mark the generally accepted...
in Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
.
Most of the river above and including Howard A. Hanson Reservoir
Howard A. Hanson Dam
Howard A. Hanson Dam is an earthen embankment dam on the Green River, 21 miles east of Auburn, Washington. The dam was completed in 1961 and its primary purpose is flood control along with water supply for Tacoma, Washington....
are part of the Green River Watershed, which is closed to public access. West of the Green River Watershed at Kanaskat, the river passes through the Green River Gorge with cliffs rising sharply as much as 300 feet (91.4 m) from the riverbed. Flaming Geyser State Park
Flaming Geyser State Park
The Flaming Geyser State Park is located on the Green River in southwestern King County, Washington, near the city of Black Diamond.-History:...
, Nolte State Park
Nolte State Park
Nolte State Park is a day-use park just south of Cumberland, Washington at the western edge of the Cascade Mountains, USA, with of freshwater shoreline on Deep Lake near the Green River Gorge. Covered with forests and water, the land was a resort for many years before it was donated to Washington...
, and Kanaskat-Palmer State Park
Kanaskat-Palmer State Park
Kanaskat-Palmer State Park in King County, Washington is a camping park in the Washington State Park System. It consists of of forest with of freshwater shoreline on the Green River. Available activities include expert-level rafting and kayaking in the Green River Gorge, fishing, hiking,...
are located in this area.
Downstream from the Green River Gorge is the half-mile wide Green River Valley, where farmland has been protected from development. An attempt to locate a bike trail along the valley walls has encountered fierce resistance from farmers. As a result, bikes must share the road with autos as it winds through the pastoral landscape.
At Auburn, the Green River emerges from the Green River Valley and enters the much larger Auburn/Kent Valley, which was created by glacial action during the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
ice ages, then filled in by river sediments and lahar
Lahar
A lahar is a type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of pyroclastic material, rocky debris, and water. The material flows down from a volcano, typically along a river valley. The term is a shortened version of "berlahar" which originated in the Javanese language of...
s from Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
. After flowing generally west from its source, at Auburn the river turns north, entering a zone of light-industrial and retail development. A public multiuse trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
runs along the river through most of this valley.
Hanson Dam Weakening and closure of the Trail
In October 2009 giant sandbags were placed along the levee from Fort DentFort Dent
-History:Fort Dent, in Tukwila, Washington, was a blockhouse built on the orders of Territorial Governor, Isaac Stevens, in approximately 1860. It was located southeast of the confluence of the Black and Green Rivers, which join to form the Duwamish River. It was named for Frederick Dent, the...
through Kent and the Green River Trail was closed up to five years. Weaknesses in the Hanson Dam
Howard A. Hanson Dam
Howard A. Hanson Dam is an earthen embankment dam on the Green River, 21 miles east of Auburn, Washington. The dam was completed in 1961 and its primary purpose is flood control along with water supply for Tacoma, Washington....
upstream has made flooding more of a possibility during an anticipated wetter than usual winter 2010/2011. Dam resilience is unpredictable and the possibility of flood hazard has been announced. Repair on the dam has reduced flood threat significantly and the Army Corps of Engineers continues work to strengthen the partially earthen dam.
Green River Killer
The Green River is infamous as the location where the first victims of serial killerSerial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Gary Leon Ridgway were found in the early 1980s. Most of these victims were prostitutes found along the Pacific Highway. Although only a few bodies were found in the river, the unidentified killer was known as the "Green River Killer". These murders went unsolved for over 20 years. For many years, Dave Reichert
Dave Reichert
David George Reichert is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served as Sheriff of King County, Washington.-Early life, education and career:...
led the investigation as a detective of the King County Sheriff's Office. Ridgway made a plea agreement with King County Prosecuting Attorney Norm Maleng
Norm Maleng
Norm Maleng served as the King County, Washington, Prosecutor for 28 years. He was also an architect of Washington's Sentencing Reform Act.-Career:Maleng was born in Acme, Washington, and grew up on a dairy farm...
to cooperate with police in order to escape execution
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
. In November 2003, Gary Ridgway plead guilty to 48 counts of Aggravated First Degree Murder. King County Superior Court Judge Richard A. Jones
Richard A. Jones
-Early life and education:Born in Seattle, Washington, Jones received a Bachelor of Public Affairs from Seattle University in 1972 and a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law in 1975.-Career:...
sentenced Ridgway to 48 consecutive life sentences; Ridgway will never be eligible for parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
.