Black River (Chehalis River tributary)
| Black River | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Thurston County |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | |
• coordinates | 46°49′16″N 123°13′10″W / 46.82111°N 123.21944°W |
| Length | 25 mi (40 km) |
| Basin size | 144 sq mi (370 km2) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Black River→ Chehalis River→ Pacific Ocean |
The Black River is a river in Thurston County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is approximately 25 miles (40 km) long with a drainage basin of about 144 square miles (370 km2).[1]
History
[edit]In November of 1824, an expedition commanded by James McMillan set out to travel through the Black River and Black Lake.[2] One of the explorers, fur trader John Work, described the Black River as "so named from the colour of its water ... A great many dead salmon are in the river, and many that are just alive and barely able to move through the water."[3]
In the early 1920s, a ditch was created to connect the river to Percival Creek, making Black River the only waterway to drain to the Puget Sound (via Budd Inlet) and the Pacific Coast.[4][5][6]
Course
[edit]The Black River's source is Black Lake, located about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Tumwater. The river flows generally south, through Littlerock, near the Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve, then southwest, passing through the Black River Habitat Management Area and the town of Rochester, before meandering west through the community of Gate and entering Grays Harbor County, where it empties into the Chehalis River in the Chehalis Indian Reservation.[7]
The Black River Unit of the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge extends about 5 miles (8 km) along the river immediately south of Black Lake.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Chehalis River Basin Nonpoint Action Plan - Black River". Chehalis River Council. Archived from the original on 2008-09-05. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
- ^ Crooks, Drew. W. "Pierre Charles in the Pacific Northwest" (PDF). Columbia. 4 (Spring 1990): 29. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ Majors, Harry M. (1975). Exploring Washington. Van Winkle Publishing Co. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-918664-00-6.
- ^ "Black River / Chehalis Watershed". Capitol Land Trust. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
- ^ "Black Lake Basin Study". Thurston County. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
- ^ "Percival Creek Gets Water Flow from Black Lake". Washington Standard. Washington State Library. April 8, 1921. p. 6. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ Course info mainly from: Washington Road & Recreation Atlas. Benchmark Maps. 2000. and [1]
External links
[edit]