For other references, see Sanpoil (disambiguation)

Sanpoil (disambiguation)

Sanpoil may also refer to:* Sanpoil , a Salish Native American tribe* Sanpoil River, a tributary of the Columbia River in Washington State* Sanpoil Watershed...

.

The Sanpoil River (also spelled San Poil) is a tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Columbia River

Columbia River

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

, in the U.S. state

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 term Sanpoil is from the Okanagan

Colville-Okanagan language

Colville-Okanagan is a Salish language which arose among the inhabitants of the Okanagan River Basin and spread into the Columbia River Basin. Following British, American, and Canadian colonization during the 1800s and the subsequent repression of all Salishan languages, the use of...

 term [snpʕʷílx], meaning "people of the gray country", or "gray as far as one can see".

Course

The Sanpoil River originates near the city of Republic

Republic, Washington

Republic is a city in Ferry County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,073 at the 2010 census, a 12.5% increase over the 2000 Census. It is the county seat of Ferry County.-History:...

, in the Okanagan Highland

Okanagan Highland

The Okanagan Highland is a plateau-like hilly area in British Columbia, Canada, and the U.S. state of Washington . It lies between the Okanagan Valley on its west and the Kettle River on its east, and geologically is more or less an extension of the Thompson Plateau, which lies west of the Okanagan...

, east of the Okanogan River

Okanogan River

The Okanogan River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 115 mi long, in southern British Columbia and north central Washington...

. It flows south through the Colville National Forest

Colville National Forest

The Colville National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in northeastern Washington state. It is bordered on the west by the Okanogan National Forest and the Kaniksu National Forest to the east...

, Okanogan National Forest

Okanogan National Forest

The Okanogan National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in northern and western Okanogan County in north-central Washington State, United States...

, and the Colville Indian Reservation

Colville Indian Reservation

The Colville Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Washington, inhabited and managed by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, which is recognized by the United States of America as an American Indian Tribe...

. After entering the reservation the river receives its main tributary, the West Fork Sanpoil River. It then receives a number of smaller tributaries such as Twentyone Mile Creek, Twentythree Mile Creek, and Thirty Mile Creek.

The Sanpoil River enters Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake

Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake

Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake is the reservoir created in 1941 by the impoundment of the Columbia River by the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state. It is named for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was President during the construction of the dam...

 (FDR Lake), the impounded Columbia River

Columbia River

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

 above Grand Coulee Dam

Grand Coulee Dam

Grand Coulee Dam is a gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation. It was constructed between 1933 and 1942, originally with two power plants. A third power station was completed in 1974 to increase its energy...

. The dam impounded the last few miles of the Sanpoil River as well. This part of FDR Lake is called Sanpoil Arm. Like many tributaries of the Columbia River, the Sanpoil River had a major salmon run before the river was dammed.

Birds

• Common Loon
• Barrow’s Goldeneye
• Golden and Bald Eagles
• Northern Pygmy-Owl
• Black-chinned, Calliope, and Rufous Hummingbirds
• Lewis’s and Pileated Woodpeckers
• Red-naped Sapsucker
• Hammond’s, Dusky, and Pacific-slope Flycatchers
• Cassin’s Vireo
• Pygmy Nuthatch
• Western Bluebird
• Northern Waterthrush

See also

• Tributaries of the Columbia River
  Tributaries of the Columbia River
  Tributaries and sub-tributaries are hierarchically listed in order from the mouth of the Columbia River upstream. Major dams and reservoir lakes are also noted.-Minor tributaries:* Skipanon River * Lewis and Clark River * Youngs River...
  
  
• List of rivers of Washington

External links

• Birdwatching along the Sanpoil River trail