Lewis and Clark River
The
Lewis and Clark River is a tributary of the
Columbia River, approximately 20 mi (32 km) long, in northwest
Oregon in the
United States. It drains a part of the
Coast Range in the extreme northwest corner of the state, entering the Columbia near its mouth. The river is the site of the former
Fort Clatsop of the
Lewis and Clark Expedition, and is named for
Meriwether Lewis and
William Clark.
It rises in the mountains of central
Clatsop County south of
Saddle Mountain State Natural Area. It flows WNW then north, parallel to the coast and approximately 5 mi (8 km) inland. It enters the
Youngs Bay on the Columbia at
Astoria. The site of Fort Clatsop is located approximately 1.5 mi (2.5 km) upstream from the mouth of the river.
The river was called the Netul River by Lewis and Clark, and the Native American
Clatsop people who were living in the area at the time. The river flows through
Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks, designated as a
National Historical Park in
2004.
The river is widely known in the region as an excellent place to catch the bottom-feeding sturgeon, which is a popular sport fish in the area, and is home to an extensive salmon repopulation program, just outside of Astoria, Oregon proper, that is cuurently run by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The salmon fry, called "fingerlings" can be seen writhing and jumping within their net-lined pens along the river's eastern banks.
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Skipanon River
