The Willamette River (pronounced "wil-LAM-met") is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 240 mi (386 km) long, in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward between the Coastal Range and Cascade Range, the river and its tributaries form a basin called the Willamette Valley containing the largest population centers of Oregon, including Portland, which sits along both sides of the river near its mouth on the Columbia. Its lush valley is fed by prolific rainfall on the western side of the Cascades, forming one of the most fertile agricultural regions of North America that was the destination for many if not most of the emigrants along the Oregon Trail. The river was an important transportation route throughout much of the early history of the state, furnishing a means of conveying the vast timber and agricultural resources of the state to the outside world. A tributary (or affluent or confluent) is a contributory stream, a river that does not reach the sea, but joins another major river (a parent river), to which it contributes its waters, swelling its discharge. ... Columbia River Gorge, Washington or North side The Columbia River is a river situated in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest of the United States. ... State nickname: Beaver State Other U.S. States Capital Salem Largest city Portland Governor Ted Kulongoski (D) Senators Ron Wyden (D) Gordon Smith (R) Official language(s) None Area 255,026 km² (9th)  - Land 248,849 km²  - Water 6,177 km² (2. ... A Coastal range is any range of mountains forming a coastline. ... Mount Adams in Washington The Cascade Range is a mountainous region famous for its chain of tall volcanoes called the High Cascades that run north-south along the west coast of North America from British Columbia to the Shasta Cascade area of northern California. ... The Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley is the region in northwest Oregon in the United States that surrounds the Willamette River as it proceeds northward from its emergence from mountains near Eugene to its confluence with the Columbia River. ... Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon, and county seat of Multnomah County. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the... The route of the Oregon Trail is shown in red in the western United States Map from The Ox Team or the Old Oregon Trail 1852-1906 by Ezra Meeker. ...

Description

The Willamette rises in three separate forks in the mountains south and southeast of Eugene, at the southern end of the Willamette Valley. The Middle Fork and North Fork rise on the western side of the Cascades between Three Sisters south to Diamond Peak, with the Middle Fork receiving the North Fork northwest of Oakridge and flowing northwest through the mountains to the southern end of the Willamette Valley. The Coast Fork rises in the lower mountains south of Cottage Grove, flowing north to join the Middle Fork 2 mi (3.2 km) southeast of Eugene. Eugene is the third largest city [1] and boasts the second largest metropolitan population [2] in the state of Oregon, and is also the county seat of Lane County, Oregon, USA. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie River and... The Three Sisters are three volcanic peaks of the Cascade Range, located near the town of Sisters, Oregon. ... Oakridge is a city located in Lane County, Oregon. ... The Coast Fork Willamette River is one of several forks that unite to form the Willamette River in western Oregon in the United States. ... Cottage Grove is a city located in Lane County, Oregon. ...

From Eugene, the combined river flows NNW across the plain of the southern Willamette Valley to Corvallis, then follows a zigzag course past Albany and around the isolated hills in the central valley, passing west of downtown Salem. From Salem it flows north in a meandering course across the northwest plain of the valley, reaching the hills at Newberg, where it turns sharply ENE along the hills, passing through an opening in the hills at Oregon City, the location of the Falls of the Willamette and the head of navigation. From Oregon City it flows northwest, past Lake Oswego and Milwaukie on the south edge of Portland, then passing between east and west Portland, where it is spanned by a series of urban bridges. Downstream of downtown Portland it flows northwest through the industrial port area of Portland Harbor, then splitting into two channels around Sauvie Island, both of which hook around to enter the Columbia from the west, with the main channel entering on the north edge of Portland and the smaller Multnomah Channel entering approximately 15 mi (24 km) NNW at St.Helens. Benton County CourthouseCorvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, USA. Originally called Marysville, probably for the nearby Marys River, the legislative assembly changed the citys name to Corvallis in 1853, from the Latin phrase cor vallis, meaning heart of the valley. ... Albany is a city in the Willamette Valley of western Oregon. ... State Capitol building in Salem Salem is the capital of the state of Oregon in the United States of America, and county seat of Marion County. ... The word meander has a number of senses. ... Newberg is a city located in Yamhill County, Oregon. ... Municipal Elevator in Oregon City Oregon City is the first city in the United States incorporated west of the Rockies. ... The Willamette Falls The Willamette Falls is a natural waterfall on the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon. ... Head of navigation is a term used to describe the farthest point above the mouth of a river that can be navigated by ships. ... Lake Oswego (incorporated in 1910) is a city in northwest Oregon just south of Portland, Oregon, surrounding the private, 405-acre (1. ... Milwaukie is a city located in Clackamas County, Oregon. ... Sauvie Island is an island in the Columbia River approximately ten miles West-Northwest of downtown Portland, Oregon across the Multnomah Channel from U.S. Highway 30. ... The Multnomah Channel branches away from the mainstem river a few miles upstream of the Willamettes convergence with the Columbia. ... St. ...

The river's many tributaries drain the surrounding valley and well as portions of the Cascades and the Coastal Range. Downstream from the confluence of its forks, it is joined by McKenzie on the north side of Eugene, and by the Long Tom River from the southwest approximately 10 mi (16 km) south of Corvallis. It is joined by the Calapooia from the southeast 5 mi (8 km) northeast of Corvallis. It is joined by the Santiam from the east and the Luckiamute from the west within 1 mi (1.6 km) of each other approximately 5 mi (8 km) north of Albany. It is joined by the Yamhill from the west at Dayton, by the Molalla from the southeast near Canby, by the Tualatin from the west at West Linn, and by the Clackamas from the southeast at Gladstone. The McKenzie River is a tributary of the Willamette River, approximately 86 mi (138 km) long, in northwestern Oregon in the United States. ... The Long Tom River is a tributary of the Willamette River, approximately 5000000000000000 mi (8000000000000000 km) long, in western Oregon in the United States. ... The Calapooia River is a tributary of the Willamette that runs through Crawfordsville and Brownsville before converging with the Willamette near Albany. ... The Santiam River (san-tee-AM) is a tributary of the Willamette River, approximately 10 mi (16 km) long, in western Oregon in the United States. ... The Luckiamute River is a tributary of the Willamette River, approximately 30 mi (48 km) long, in western Oregon in the United States. ... The Yamhill River is a tributary of the Willamette River, approximately 12 mi (19 km) long, in northwestern Oregon in the United States. ... Dayton is a city located in Yamhill County, Oregon. ... The Molalla River is a tributary of the Willamette in Oregon. ... Canby is a city located in Clackamas County, Oregon. ... The Tualatin River in northwest Oregon The Tualatin River is a tributary of the Willamette River, approximately 83 mi (125 km), in Oregon in the United States. ... West Linn is a city located in Clackamas County, Oregon. ... The Clackamas River is a tributary of the Willamette River, approximately 85 mi (137 km) long, in northwestern Oregon in the United States. ... Gladstone is a city located in Clackamas County, Oregon. ...

The river forms part of the boundary of the following counties: Benton, Linn, Polk, Marion, Yamhill and Clackamas. Tributaries of the Willamette River also drain some or all of Lane, Washington and Multnomah counties. Benton County is a county located in the state of Oregon. ... Linn County is a county located in the state of Oregon. ... Polk County is a county located in the state of Oregon. ... Marion County is a county located in the state of Oregon. ... Yamhill County is a county located in the state of Oregon. ... Clackamas County is a county located in the state of Oregon. ... Lane County is a county in the state of Oregon. ... Washington County is a county located in the state of Oregon. ... Location in the state of Oregon Formed 22 December 1854 Seat Portland Area  - Total  - Water 1,206 km² (466 mi²) 79 km² (30 mi²) 6. ...

Although riverboats navigated the upstream part of the Willamette into the first decades of the 20th century, currently there is little commercial traffic on the river above the Willamette Falls. The Willamette Falls Locks allow boat traffic, primarily recreational vessles, around the falls. The river is crossed by serveral ferries along its route in the Willamette Valley. A first class tourist riverboat High speed planing riverboat High speed hydrofoil riverboat Local passenger transport craft Riverboat specialized for cargo truck transport Self propelled gravel barge M.V. Splendid China layout A riverboat is a specialized watercraft (vessel) designed for operating on inland waterways. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... The Willamette Falls The Willamette Falls is a natural waterfall on the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon. ... The Pride of Burgundy, a P&O Ferries car ferry on the Dover-Calais route A ferry is a boat or a ship carrying passengers, and sometimes their vehicles, on scheduled services. ... Image File history File links Mt. ...

Environmental issues

The Portland Harbor section of the Willamette River between downtown Portland and its terminus at the Columbia River is heavily polluted from years of industrial development of the river and its banks. Historical and current activities have included shipbuilding, creosote manufacture, and transfer and storage of petroleum products. State studies in the 1990s identified a wide variety of pollutants in the river bottom, including heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and pesticides. As a result of these studies, this section of the river was designated a Superfund site in 2000, involving the federal Environmental Protection Agency in cleanup of the river bottom. As of 2005, cleanup and containment of the pollutants is underway and is expected to be completed by 2006. Men from Francisco de Orellanas expedition building a small brigantine, the San Pedro, to be used in the search for food Shipbuilding is the construction of ships. ... Creosote is the name used for a variety of products: wood creosote, coal tar creosote, coal tar, coal tar pitch, and coal tar pitch volatiles. ... Nodding donkey pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario Petroleum (from Latin petra – rock and oleum – oil), crude oil, sometimes colloquially called black gold, is a thick, dark brown or greenish liquid. ... Labelling transformers containing PCBs Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of organic compounds with 1 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl and a general structure of C12H10-xClx. ... the plane is spreading pesticide. ... Checking the status of a cleanup site Superfund is the common name for the United States environmental law that is officially known as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 9601 to 9675, which was enacted by the United States Congress on December 11... EPA redirects here. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Crossings of the Willamette

Many bridges and a few ferries span the Willamette River, including the following (from south to north)

The Wheatland Ferry connects Marion County, Oregon and Yamhill County, Oregon across the Willamette River. ... The Oregon City Bridge The Willamette River (Oregon City) Bridge is a steel half-through arch bridge of hollow box girder construction that spans the Willamette River between Oregon City, and West Linn, Oregon on Oregon Highway 43. ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Abernethy Bridge is a steel plate and box girder bridge that spans the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Interstate 205, also known as the War Veterans Memorial Freeway in Washington and Oregon, is a loop route that serves the Portland, Oregon-Vancouver, Washington metropolitan area. ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Sellwood Bridge is a truss bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. ... 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Ross Island Bridge is a cantilever truss bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... United States Highway 26 is an east-west United States highway. ... The Marquam Bridge is a double deck cantilever bridge that carries Interstate 5 traffic across the Willamette River south of downtown Portland, Oregon. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Hawthorne Bridge is a truss bridge with a vertical lift that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Morrison Bridge The Morrison Bridge is a double leaf Chicago style bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Burnside Bridge The Burnside Bridge is a double leaf bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The lower deck of the Steel Bridge is raised to let the sternwheeler Rose pass. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday. ... Oregon Highway 99 is a state highway that runs between the northern and southern border of Oregon. ... The Broadway Bridge is a double-leaf Rall type bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. ... 1913 (MCMXIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... The Fremont Bridge is a steel tied-arch bridge over the Willamette River located in Portland, Oregon. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Interstate 405 in Oregon is a short loop route, also known as the Stadium Freeway, that connects downtown Portland west of the Willamette River to Interstate 5. ... The Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge 5. ... The Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge 5. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The BNSF Railway (AAR reporting mark BNSF) NYSE: BNI, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and established as a result of a 1995 merger between the parent companies of the Burlington Northern Railroad and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, is one of the largest railroad networks in North America... The St. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... United States Highway 30 is an east-west United States highway that traverses the United States. ...

See also

• List of Oregon rivers
• Oregon Country

The following is a partial listing of rivers in the state of Oregon, United States of America. ... Oregon Country was a region of western North America that originally consisted of the land north of 42°N latitude, south of 54°40N latitude, and west of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. ...

External links

• Portland Harbor DEQ cleanup - Oregon state Department of Environmental Quality
• Willamette Riverkeeper - Working to protect and restore the Willamette River.