Skookumchuck River
Encyclopedia
The Skookumchuck River is a 45 miles (72.4 km) long river located in southwest Washington, USA. It is a tributary of the Chehalis River
and thence to the Pacific Ocean
. The Skookumchuck Dam was built in 1970, creating the Skookumchuck Reservoir. The dam provides water supply for the 1400-megawatt Centralia Steam Electric Plant and supplements flows for fish resources. The river begins with several tributaries in the Snoqualmie National Forest
in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, and flows west past the town of Bucoda, Washington to its confluence with the Chehalis River
near Centralia, Washington
.
The name of the river derives from Chinook Jargon
: In this context, "rapids". The word skookum means "strong", and chuck means "water".
Chehalis River (U.S.)
The Chehalis River is a river in Washington in the United States. It originates in several forks in southwestern Washington, flows east, then north, then west, in a large curve, before emptying into Grays Harbor, an estuary of the Pacific Ocean.-Course:...
and thence to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The Skookumchuck Dam was built in 1970, creating the Skookumchuck Reservoir. The dam provides water supply for the 1400-megawatt Centralia Steam Electric Plant and supplements flows for fish resources. The river begins with several tributaries in the Snoqualmie National Forest
Snoqualmie National Forest
Snoqualmie National Forest is a United States National Forest in the State of Washington. It was established on 1 July 1908, when an area of 961,120 acres was split from the existing Washington National Forest. Its size was increased on 13 October 1933, when a part of Rainier National Forest was...
in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, and flows west past the town of Bucoda, Washington to its confluence with the Chehalis River
Chehalis River
The Chehalis River may refer to:*Chehalis River , in the United States*Chehalis River , in Canada...
near Centralia, Washington
Centralia
-Places:Australia* Central AustraliaCanada* Centralia, OntarioUSA* Centralia, California* Centralia, Illinois**Centralia, Illinois * Centralia, Iowa* Centralia, Kansas* Centralia, Missouri* Centralia, New York* Centralia, Oklahoma...
.
The name of the river derives from Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
: In this context, "rapids". The word skookum means "strong", and chuck means "water".