Silvies River
Encyclopedia
The Silvies River flows for about 95 miles (152.9 km) through Grant
and Harney
counties in the U.S. state of Oregon
. The river drains 1273 mi2 of the northern Harney Basin
.
The headwaters are on the southern flank of the Aldrich Mountains
, about 10 miles (16.1 km) south of Mount Vernon
in Grant County. Named tributaries include Bear Creek and Emigrant Creek. The Silvies runs generally southward and passes near Seneca
and Burns
. Southeast of Burns, in Harney County, the river splits into two distributaries
, the East Fork Silvies River and the West Fork Silvies River. Both terminate at Malheur Lake
about 25 miles (40.2 km) southeast of Burns.
Grant County, Oregon
Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. In 2010, its population was 7,445. It is named for President Ulysses S. Grant, who served as an army officer in the Oregon Territory, and at the time of the county's creation...
and Harney
Harney County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Malheur National Forest *Malheur National Wildlife Refuge*Ochoco National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,609 people, 3,036 households, and 2,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 1 people per square mile...
counties in the U.S. state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. The river drains 1273 mi2 of the northern Harney Basin
Harney Basin
The Harney Basin is a structural basin in southeastern Oregon in the United States at the northwestern corner of the Great Basin. One of the least populated areas of the contiguous United States, it is located largely in northern Harney County, bounded on the north and east by the Columbia Plateau,...
.
The headwaters are on the southern flank of the Aldrich Mountains
Aldrich Mountains
The Aldrich Mountains are a mountain range in Grant County, Oregon.-External links:*...
, about 10 miles (16.1 km) south of Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, Oregon
Mount Vernon is a city in Grant County, Oregon, United States. The population was 595 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
in Grant County. Named tributaries include Bear Creek and Emigrant Creek. The Silvies runs generally southward and passes near Seneca
Seneca, Oregon
Seneca is a city in Grant County, Oregon, United States. It is located in the Blue Mountains about 23 miles south of Canyon City, on U.S. Route 395, on the edge of the Malheur National Forest...
and Burns
Burns, Oregon
Burns is a city in and the county seat of Harney County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 2,806.-History:Burns was established in the early 1880s and incorporated upon Harney county's creation in 1889...
. Southeast of Burns, in Harney County, the river splits into two distributaries
Distributary
A distributary, or a distributary channel, is a stream that branches off and flows away from a main stream channel. They are a common feature of river deltas. The phenomenon is known as river bifurcation. The opposite of a distributary is a tributary...
, the East Fork Silvies River and the West Fork Silvies River. Both terminate at Malheur Lake
Malheur Lake
Malheur Lake is a lake in an arid region of eastern Oregon, United States near Burns, Oregon. The lake is fed by Donner und Blitzen River from the south and the Silvies River from the north. Malheur Lake has no outlet, though water escapes through ground seepage and by evaporation; widespread...
about 25 miles (40.2 km) southeast of Burns.
See also
- List of rivers of Oregon
- List of longest streams of Oregon
- Malheur National Wildlife RefugeMalheur National Wildlife RefugeMalheur National Wildlife Refuge is located roughly south of the town of Burns, Oregon. The refuge area is roughly T shaped with the southernmost base at Frenchglen, the left top at Malheur Lake and the right top at Harney Lake....
Works cited
- Sheehan, Madelynne Diness (2005). Fishing in Oregon: The Complete Oregon Fishing Guide, 10th edition. Scappoose, Oregon: Flying Pencil Publications. ISBN 978-0-916473-15-0.