Queets River

Queets River
Mouth of the Queets River in Washington
Etymology	K'witzquorquitzqu,Quinaultfor "out of the first of the skin".
Location
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Jefferson
Physical characteristics
Source	Humes Glacier,Mount Olympus
• location	Olympic Mountains
• coordinates	47°47′21″N123°36′28″W
• elevation	4,230 ft (1,290 m)
Mouth	Pacific Ocean
• location	NearQueets, Washington
• coordinates	47°32′40″N124°21′22″W
• elevation	0 ft (0 m)
Length	52.8 mi (85.0 km)
Basin size	204 sq mi (530 km2)
Discharge
• location	USGSgage 12040500,river mile4.6
• average	4,347 cu ft/s (123.1 m3/s)
• minimum	281 cu ft/s (8.0 m3/s)
• maximum	133,000 cu ft/s (3,800 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Tshletsky Creek,Sams River,Salmon River
• right	Clearwater River

TheQueets Riveris ariverin theU.S. stateofWashington.It is located on theOlympic Peninsula,mostly within theOlympic National Parkand empties into thePacific Ocean.

The Queets River is 52.8 miles (85.0 km) long.Itsdrainage basinis 204 square miles (530 km²) in area.Its main tributaries include theClearwater River,Salmon River,Sams River,Matheny Creek, and Tshetshy Creek, as well as the Clearwater's main tributaries, theSnahapish RiverandSolleks River.

History

According toQueetsandQuinaultlegend, river was originally calledK'witzq^uorq^uitzq^u,pronounced "Kw-ā-tz", meaning "out of the dirt of the skin". The legend tells ofKwate,the changer, ors'qit^u,the Great Spirit and Transformer, came to the mouth of the Queets River. After fording the cold river he rubbed his legs to restore circulation, small rolls of dirt formed under his hand. He threw them into the water and from them a man and a woman came forth, who became the ancestors of the Queets people. Kwate told them they would remain on the river and would be known asK'witzq^u,because of the dirt from which your skin was made.According toWilliam Brightthe river's name comes from the Quinault word/q'ʷícx̣ʷ/,meaning "dirt".

The name "Queets River" first appeared on the Surveyor General's map ofWashington Territoryand was later applied to other features. The word "Queets" was derived from the name of theQuai'tsotribe (Queets). Despite the name Queets River appearing on official maps, settlers called it Big River for many years, in contrast to its tributary theClearwater River,which was called the Little River.

Course

A portion of the upper course of the Queets River.

The Queets River originates at the foot of theHumes Glacieron the southeast side ofMount Olympusin the Olympic Mountains. It is also fed byJeffers Glacier,on the south side of Mount Olympus, andQueets Glacier,on the north side ofMount Queets.The river flows through a narrow canyon, cascading over Service Falls en route, to a point just below Paull Creek, where the valley opens up a bit. From there the river flows generally west to just below Kilkelly Creek, then south to just below Alta Creek, where the valley width expands once more into a typicalU-shaped valleyglacial river valley. The Queets then flows generally southwest, collecting numerous tributaries including theClearwater River,Salmon River,and Sams River before emptying into the Pacific Ocean near the community ofQueets.

Nearly all of the river is within Olympic National Park. The last 4 miles (6.4 km) are outside the park, within theQuinault Indian reservation.A short portion of the river near its mouth is withinGrays Harbor Countywhile the rest is inJefferson County.

Natural history

The Queets River is unusual in being a large river flowing through a relatively low-gradient, heavily forestedalluvialvalley. The forests on the western side of the Olympic Mountains have one of the highest rates ofbiomassproduction per unit area in North America.Dischargerates in the winter can be very high, sometimes with surges up to or over 100,000 cubic feet per second (2,800 m³/s).This combination results in frequentlog jamsand new channels. The river is not kept clear of woody debris, making it one of the few North American rivers of its size in which large log jams are common.TheUSGSoperates astream gage4.6 miles (7.4 km) above the mouth of the Queets, 2.4 miles (3.9 km) downriver from the mouth of the Clearwater River. The mean annual discharge recorded over the lifetime of this gage up to 2009, is 4,347 cubic feet per second (123.1 m³/s). The peak maximum discharge was 133,000 cubic feet per second (3,800 m³/s), recorded on December 15, 1999. The maximum daily mean discharge was 91,100 cubic feet per second (2,580 m³/s), recorded on March 19, 1997. A minimum daily mean discharge of 281 cubic feet per second (8.0 m³/s) was recorded from September 25–28, 2005.

Recreation

Landslide on the Queets River Road, in the winter of 2006. The road has since been rerouted.

Another view of the Queets River.

There is a primitiveNational Park Servicecampground and ranger station (no longer staffed) at the end of the Queets River Road. The Queets River Trail begins on the north bank of the river, across from the campground, and follows the river about 16 miles (26 km) upstream. Access to the trailhead requires fording the Queets River, which can be treacherous. There are primitive campsites along the trail at the Lower Crossing Way Trail junction and Spruce Bottom.

The river is runnable by kayak or canoe from the campground to theHighway 101bridge (roughly 19 miles (31 km)), but is replete with hazards, mainly in the form oflog jams.

See also

• List of Washington rivers

External links

• Upper Queets Valley Reopens Via Alternative Route,Olympic National Park, National Park Service