Roaring River (Clackamas River)

Roaring River
Country United States
State Oregon
County Clackamas County
Source near Signal Buttes
 - location Cascade Range, Roaring River Wilderness,
Mount Hood National Forest
 - elevation 4,391 ft (1,338 m) [1]
 - coordinates 45°09′40″N 121°55′36″W / 45.16111°N 121.92667°W / 45.16111; -121.92667 [2]
Mouth Clackamas River
 - elevation 955 ft (291 m) [2]
 - coordinates 45°09′29″N 122°07′02″W / 45.15806°N 122.11722°W / 45.15806; -122.11722Coordinates: 45°09′29″N 122°07′02″W / 45.15806°N 122.11722°W / 45.15806; -122.11722 [2]
Length 13.7 mi (22 km) [3]
Basin 44 sq mi (114 km2) [3]
Discharge
 - average 170 cu ft/s (5 m3/s) [4]
Location of the mouth of the Roaring River in Oregon

Roaring River is a 13.7-mile (22.0 km) tributary of the Clackamas River in Clackamas County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Beginning near Signal Buttes on the western flank of the Cascade Range, the river flows generally west through parts of Mount Hood National Forest to meet the larger river 44 miles (71 km) from its mouth on the Willamette River.[5]

The river's watershed generally overlaps the Roaring River Wilderness, a 36,500-acre (14,800 ha) federally protected area established in 2009. The area is off-limits to commercial logging and mechanized recreation though still open to fishing, camping, hunting, hiking, and many other activities.[6]

The entire length of Roaring River was named part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 1988. Most of this was declared "wild", though the last two-tenths of a mile were designated "recreational".[3]

Tributaries

Named tributaries in downstream order from source to mouth are Cougar and Splintercat creeks, which enter from the left; Plaza and Squaw creeks, from the right, and Shining Creek, South Fork Roaring River, and Grouse Creek, all from the left.[5] The South Fork is also part of the wild and scenic rivers system.[7]

Recreation

Whitewater enthusiasts sometimes run the lowermost 3.2 miles (5.1 km) of the river, taking forest roads and a hiking trail to the put-in point and taking out at the bridge carrying Oregon Route 224 over the river near Roaring River Campground. This run is rated Class IV (advanced), on the International Scale of River Difficulty. Dangers include ledges, boulders, and shifting wood hazards that require scouting and multiple portages.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.
  2. 1 2 3 "Roaring River". Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). United States Geological Survey (USGS). November 28, 1980. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "Roaring River, Oregon". National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  4. ↑ Palmer, Tim (2014). Field Guide to Oregon Rivers. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press. p. 195. ISBN 978-0-87071-627-0.
  5. 1 2 "Topographic Map". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via ACME Labs.
  6. ↑ Preusch, Matthew (April 6, 2009). "No Cars, No Roads, No Kidding". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 10, 2015 – via Oregon Live.
  7. ↑ "Roaring River (South Fork), Oregon". National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  8. ↑ Giordano, Pete; Willamette Kayak and Canoe Club (2004). Soggy Sneakers: A Paddler's Guide to Oregon Rivers (4th ed.). Seattle, Washington: The Mountaineers Books. pp. 218–20. ISBN 978-0-89886-815-9. OCLC 53793536.
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