| Cispus River | |
|---|---|
 Bridge at Forest Service Road 2306 | |
  Location of the mouth of the Cispus River in Washington Show map of Washington (state) Cispus River (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Lewis,Skamania |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Goat Rocks Wilderness |
| • location | Cascade Range |
| • coordinates | 46°29′41″N121°25′45″W / 46.49472°N 121.42917°W /46.49472; -121.42917[2] |
| Mouth | Cowlitz River |
• location | Lake Scanewa |
• coordinates | 46°28′35″N122°5′39″W / 46.47639°N 122.09417°W /46.47639; -122.09417[1] |
• elevation | 833 ft (254 m)[1] |
| Length | 54 mi (87 km)[3] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | river mile 17.4 nearRandle[4] |
| • average | 1,001 cu ft/s (28.3 m3/s)[4] |
| • minimum | 165 cu ft/s (4.7 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 9,800 cu ft/s (280 m3/s) |
TheCispus River is about 54 miles (87 km) long[3] and flows into theCowlitz River atLake Scanewa in theCascade Range ofWashington.[5] Its tributaries drain most of south-central and southeasternLewis County, extreme northeastSkamania County, and some of westernYakima County.
Indigenous residents on the Cispus River were known as the cispaclama.[6] The river was the location of a site known to theUpper Cowlitz tribe as "Yuyutla". Translated as "person who shouts", the location was used by various other Native American groups in the region for thousands of years. Archeological studies started in the late 20th century provided evidence of tool building and hunting at the site which is thought to be located near Randle on a trail leading from a nearby campground. Research also included the find of a long-serving communal shelter and work site atLayser Cave.[7][8]
German settlers in the mid-1800s founded the homestead community of Rhine, named after theriver in Germany, which was located on the river near Cowlitz Falls. The community, which became aghost town, renamed itself to Cispus.[9] The name is from a mythical Upper Cowlitz warrior.[10]
Themain stem begins in Lewis County in a high, glacial valley to the north ofSnowgrass Flats in theGoat Rocks Wilderness, located on theGifford Pinchot National Forest. From here the river flows in a looped, southwesterly direction intoSkamania County and takes on the waters of several important headwater tributaries such as Walupt Creek.[11][citation needed]
About 40 miles (64 km) from itsmouth, the Cispus River receives Muddy Fork from theleft.[3] Muddy Fork starts 7 miles (11 km) from this junction, atMount Adams' Lava Glacier and is named for the glacial debris and silt in the water which give the river a muddy appearance. The Cispus River flows through a heavily forested valley, much of the forest regrown after theCispus Burn, which occurred the first decade of the 20th century and consumed most of the lower drainage.[citation needed]
The rushing Canyon Creek enters the river originating high on the slopes ofMount Adams. A few miles down the North Fork Cispus enters the main branch about 20 miles (32 km) from its start. From here on, the Cispus River flows westerly, passing campgrounds and trails in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Two tributaries, Yellowjacket and McCoy Creeks, flow into the river from the south about midway though its course. Beyond here, the river passes beneath Tower Rock, a prominent quartz diorite monolith on the south side of the river. Soon after this the river leaves the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and enters theWeyerhaeuser Cowlitz Tree Farm. The Cispus River ends its course entering the Cowlitz River atLake Scanewa, just upstream from Cowlitz Falls andRiffe Lake near the flooded town ofKosmos.[11][citation needed]
The watershed is populated by hundreds of trees known as "basket trees", where the bark was used by indigenous people to create a variety of containers.[7] Near Randle, the Cispus watershed containsold-growth Douglas fir forests, hosting trees up to 600-years old. Other timber species include alder, cedar, hemlock, and maple.[8]
There is a stream flow monitoring station on the river which sends its data live to theUnited States Geological Survey (USGS).
The Cispus is host to the Cowlitz Falls Park, a day use area situated near its junction with Lake Scanewa.[12]Whitewater rafting also takes place on the Cispus River.