The Beckler River is a tributary of the South Fork Skykomish River in the U.S. state of Washington in the United States.
25-638: The Beckler River originates near Jack Pass and flows southeast about 5 miles (8.0 km) where it is joined by the Rapid River , its principal tributary. The Beckler then flows generally south for about 8 miles (13 km) to empty into the South Fork Skykomish River. The upper portion of the Beckler River flows through a narrow, steep, and densely forested valley with slopes rising 4,000 feet (1,200 m) and higher over
50-503: A drainage basin of 41 square miles (106 km ). The Rapid River originates at 47°49′19″N 121°7′28″W / 47.82194°N 121.12444°W / 47.82194; -121.12444 , at Grouse Lake and at 47°49′40″N 121°04′24″W / 47.82778°N 121.07333°W / 47.82778; -121.07333 on the west slopes of Jove Peak on the crest of the Cascades, 6 and 9 miles (10 and 14 km) east of
75-535: A few small tributaries. Adult salmon benefit from a trap-and-haul operation that transports them over a barrier on the lower South Fork Skykomish River. From down to upstream, hierarchically listed, not exhaustive: Rapid River (Washington) The Rapid River is a tributary of the Beckler River in the U.S. state of Washington in the United States. It is 13 miles (21 km) long, with
100-400: A new river, to be given its own name, perhaps one already known to the people who live upon its banks. Conversely, explorers approaching a new land from the sea encounter its rivers at their mouths, where they name them on their charts, then, following a river upstream, encounter each tributary as a forking of the stream to the right and to the left, which then appear on their charts as such; or
125-651: A northward bend. Near the northernmost part of this bend a tributary stream originating in Cup Lake and Saucer Lake and Margaret Lake on the Cascade Crest joins. Soon the North Fork Rapid River joins as well, followed by Meadow Creek. The North Fork rises four miles to the north, its headwaters flowing from Pear Lake, Peach Lake, and Grass Lake, close to Wenatchee Pass on the Cascade crest. Some of
150-400: A river or stream that branches off from and flows away from the main stream. Distributaries are most often found in river deltas . Right tributary , or right-bank tributary , and left tributary , or left-bank tributary , describe the orientation of the tributary relative to the flow of the main stem river. These terms are defined from the perspective of looking downstream, that is, facing
175-449: Is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream ( main stem or "parent" ), river, or a lake . A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean . Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they flow, drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater , leading the water out into an ocean. The Irtysh is a chief tributary of the Ob river and
200-411: Is also the longest tributary river in the world with a length of 4,248 km (2,640 mi). The Madeira River is the largest tributary river by volume in the world with an average discharge of 31,200 m /s (1.1 million cu ft/s). A confluence , where two or more bodies of water meet, usually refers to the joining of tributaries. The opposite to a tributary is a distributary ,
225-783: Is similar in its upper portion, but moderates in its final 3 to 4 miles (4.8 to 6.4 km). Much of the Rapid River's drainage basin has been logged. Much of the Beckler River's drainage basin is within the Wild Sky Wilderness , although the main river itself is not. The Rapid River's basin is within the Wild Sky Wilderness and the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness . Parts of the main Rapid River itself are in both wildernesses. Both wildernesses are part of Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest . Forest Service Road 65,
250-555: The Beckler River Road, runs north from U.S. Route 2 following the river to Jack Pass and connecting to Forest Service Road 63, the North Fork Skykomish Road. The Beckler River originates south of Jack Pass, west of Frog Mountain and east of Bear Mountain , in the central North Cascades . It flows generally south, picking up the tributary Evergreen Creek from the east and passing San Juan Hill on
275-448: The Beckler River is joined by Johnson Creek then Harlan Creek from the east. The river passes by Eagle Rock to the west and Beckler Peak to the east. Eagle Creek joins from the west. Eagle Creek flows for many miles from its source near Eagle Lake, just upstream from Paradise Meadow. Eagle Lake and Paradise Meadow are separated by a fairly low but rough pass from Barclay Lake, a popular hiking destination near Mount Baring . Below Eagle Creek
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#1732800798203300-540: The Beckler River valley broadens. Beckler River Campground is on the banks of the lower river. Shortly below that the Beckler River empties into the South Fork Skykomish River near the town of Skykomish. The Beckler River is named for Elbridge H. Beckler, who was the chief engineer of the Pacific extension of the Great Northern Railway from 1889 to 1893. Nearby Beckler Peak is also named for him. In
325-495: The Beckler River. The latter source flows through Lake Janus—at 4,146 feet (1,264 m)—before meeting the Grouse Lake source creek, whereafter the river continues southwest. An early tributary comes from 4,742-foot (1,445 m) high Dow Lake, southwest of Union Pass and Union Peak , also on the Cascade crest. The Pacific Crest Trail follows the crest and parts of the high Rapid River basin. Both Jove and Union peaks are on
350-421: The direction the water current of the main stem is going. In a navigational context, if one were floating on a raft or other vessel in the main stream, this would be the side the tributary enters from as one floats past; alternately, if one were floating down the tributary, the main stream meets it on the opposite bank of the tributary. This information may be used to avoid turbulent water by moving towards
375-451: The handedness is from the point of view of an observer facing upstream. For instance, Steer Creek has a left tributary which is called Right Fork Steer Creek. These naming conventions are reflective of the circumstances of a particular river's identification and charting: people living along the banks of a river, with a name known to them, may then float down the river in exploration, and each tributary joining it as they pass by appears as
400-782: The high crest of the Cascade Range, separating the Rapid River's drainage basin from the Little Wenatchee River drainage to the east. While the waters of the Rapid River ultimately empty into Puget Sound those of the Little Wenatchee enter the Columbia River via the Wenatchee River . From its source near the crest of the Cascades the Rapid River flows southwest and west, collecting numerous headwater tributaries. The Rapid River makes
425-564: The larger mountains in the Rapid River's basin include Valhalla Mountain, Scrabble Mountain, Scorpion Mountain, Sunrise Mountain, Evergreen Mountain, Grizzly Peak, and Fortune Mountain. In terms of river size and streamflow, the true source of the South Fork Skykomish River is the Rapid River and Beckler River, even though the South Fork keeps its name above the Beckler confluence. Tributary A tributary , or an affluent ,
450-507: The late 19th and early 20th centuries USGS undertook a massive mapping project in the Cascade Mountains north of Snoqualmie Pass . The Beckler River area was surveyed for this project in 1902 by W.C. Guerin. Prospectors had already thoroughly explored the region by the 1890s. Mineral discoveries prompted booms in the late 19th century, especially at Monte Cristo . The main route to Monte Cristo, before alternate routes were found,
475-406: The opposite bank before approaching the confluence. An early tributary is a tributary that joins the main stem river closer to its source than its mouth, that is, before the river's midpoint ; a late tributary joins the main stem further downstream, closer to its mouth than to its source, that is, after the midpoint. In the United States, where tributaries sometimes have the same name as
500-666: The river into which they feed, they are called forks . These are typically designated by compass direction. For example, the American River in California receives flow from its North, Middle, and South forks. The Chicago River 's North Branch has the East, West, and Middle Fork; the South Branch has its South Fork, and used to have a West Fork as well (now filled in). Forks are sometimes designated as right or left. Here,
525-418: The smaller stream designated the little fork, the larger either retaining its name unmodified, or receives the designation big . Tributaries are sometimes listed starting with those nearest to the source of the river and ending with those nearest to the mouth of the river . The Strahler stream order examines the arrangement of tributaries in a hierarchy of first, second, third and higher orders, with
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#1732800798203550-432: The streams are seen to diverge by the cardinal direction (north, south, east, or west) in which they proceed upstream, sometimes a third stream entering between two others is designated the middle fork; or the streams are distinguished by the relative height of one to the other, as one stream descending over a cataract into another becomes the upper fork, and the one it descends into, the lower ; or by relative volume:
575-496: The valley floor. Over its lower course the river valley widens slightly. In its last half-mile the valley opens out into the South Fork Skykomish valley. The only community in the region is Skykomish . Nearly all the Beckler River's tributaries, with the notable exception of Rapid River, exhibit steep mountain character with numerous cascades and rapids in narrow channels, boulders, and rocky bottoms. The Rapid River
600-460: The west. Boulder Creek, flowing from Boulder Lake, joins from the west. Bullbucker Creek joins from the east. A longer tributary, Fourth of July Creek, joins from the west, having comes many miles from Fourth of July Lake near Townsend Mountain and Burley Mountain. Shortly downstream from the Fourth of July confluence the Beckler is joined from the east by its main tributary, the Rapid River. Below that
625-490: Was north from Index via the North Fork Skykomish River. The Beckler River offered another route, over Jack Pass to the North Fork Skykomish River. Prospectors explored the Beckler River region during the early 1890s. The Beckler River supports Chinook and coho salmon. Chinook spawning takes places mainly in the Beckler and lower Rapid River. Coho use shallower side channels of the Beckler River and
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