Breitenbush River
|
Breitenbush River north of Detroit |
The
Breitenbush River is a tributary of the
North Santiam River, approximately 20 mi (32 km) long, in western
Oregon in the
United States. It drains a rugged, forested area of the
Cascade Range east of
Salem.
It descends from several short forks in the
Mount Jefferson Wilderness in the high Cascades of eastern
Marion County. The
South Fork Breitenbush River begins at creeks flowing from Bays Lake and Russell Lake within Jefferson Park at approximately elevation 6000 ft (1830 m) and flows WNW, joining with a number of other forks, variously unnamed depending on the map, or sometimes called
North Fork of the South Fork of the South Fork, etc. The
North Fork Breitenbush River begins at Breitenbush Lake (mostly on the
Warm Springs Reservation) and joins with another fork which passes by Pyramid Lake. It flows WNW and connects with a half dozen other forks and creeks then turns WSW abeam Bald Butte. Several more creeks and
Mink Creek and
Rapidam Creek join before another fork
The North and South forks flow west, joining near the small community of
Breitenbush. The combined stream flows generally WSW through the
Willamette National Forest. It joins the North Santiam at
Detroit. The lower 2 miles (3.2 km) of the river cut what is now an arm of
Detroit Lake, formed by the
Detroit Dam on the North Santiam. During the winter draw down of the reservoir, the original bed of the river is visible in its natural course.
Image:Breitenbush river north fork of north fork.jpg|View of tributary from road to Breitenbush Lake of North Fork Of North Fork of Breitenbush RiverImage:Breitenbush river north fork of north fork sign.jpeg|weathered road sign naming North Fork of North Fork Breitenbush RiverImage:Oregon jefferson park 20060805-0940.jpeg|Jefferson Park at the foot of Mount Jefferson, headwaters of the South Fork of the Breitenbush River*
Breitenbush Hot Springs Retreat and Conference Center
