| Queets River | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
  Mouth of the Queets River in Washington | |
| Etymology | K'witzqu orquitzqu,Quinault for "out of the first of the skin".[2] |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Jefferson |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Humes Glacier,Mount Olympus |
| • location | Olympic Mountains |
| • coordinates | 47°47′21″N123°36′28″W / 47.78917°N 123.60778°W /47.78917; -123.60778[1] |
| • elevation | 4,230 ft (1,290 m)[3] |
| Mouth | Pacific Ocean |
• location | NearQueets, Washington |
• coordinates | 47°32′40″N124°21′22″W / 47.54444°N 124.35611°W /47.54444; -124.35611[1] |
• elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Length | 52.8 mi (85.0 km)[4] |
| Basin size | 204 sq mi (530 km2)[5] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | USGS gage 12040500,river mile 4.6[6] |
| • average | 4,347 cu ft/s (123.1 m3/s)[6] |
| • minimum | 281 cu ft/s (8.0 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 133,000 cu ft/s (3,800 m3/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Tshletsky Creek,Sams River,Salmon River |
| • right | Clearwater River |
TheQueets River is ariver in theU.S. state ofWashington. It is located on theOlympic Peninsula, mostly within theOlympic National Park and empties into thePacific Ocean.
The Queets River is 52.8 miles (85.0 km) long.[4] Itsdrainage basin is 204 square miles (530 km2) in area.[5] Its main tributaries include theClearwater River,Salmon River,Sams River, Matheny Creek, and Tshetshy Creek, as well as the Clearwater's main tributaries, theSnahapish River andSolleks River.[4]
According toQueets andQuinault legend, river was originally calledK'witzqu orquitzqu, pronounced "Kw-ā-tz", meaning "out of the dirt of the skin". The legend tells ofKwate, the changer, ors'qitu, the Great Spirit and Transformer, came to the mouth of the Queets River. After fording the cold river he rubbed his legs to restore circulation, small rolls of dirt formed under his hand. He threw them into the water and from them a man and a woman came forth, who became the ancestors of the Queets people. Kwate told them they would remain on the river and would be known asK'witzqu, because of the dirt from which your skin was made.[2] According toWilliam Bright the river's name comes from the Quinault word/q'ʷícx̣ʷ/, meaning "dirt".[7]
The name "Queets River" first appeared on the Surveyor General's map ofWashington Territory and was later applied to other features. The word "Queets" was derived from the name of theQuai'tso tribe (Queets). Despite the name Queets River appearing on official maps, settlers called it Big River for many years, in contrast to its tributary theClearwater River, which was called the Little River.[2]
The Queets River originates at the foot of theHumes Glacier on the southeast side ofMount Olympus in the Olympic Mountains. It is also fed byJeffers Glacier, on the south side of Mount Olympus, andQueets Glacier, on the north side ofMount Queets.[8] The river flows through a narrow canyon, cascading over Service Falls en route, to a point just below Paull Creek, where the valley opens up a bit. From there the river flows generally west to just below Kilkelly Creek, then south to just below Alta Creek, where the valley width expands once more into a typicalU-shaped valley glacial river valley. The Queets then flows generally southwest, collecting numerous tributaries including theClearwater River,Salmon River, and Sams River before emptying into the Pacific Ocean near the community ofQueets.
Nearly all of the river is within Olympic National Park. The last 4 miles (6.4 km) are outside the park, within theQuinault Indian reservation. A short portion of the river near its mouth is withinGrays Harbor County while the rest is inJefferson County.
The Queets River is unusual in being a large river flowing through a relatively low-gradient, heavily forestedalluvial valley. The forests on the western side of the Olympic Mountains have one of the highest rates ofbiomass production per unit area in North America.Discharge rates in the winter can be very high, sometimes with surges up to or over 100,000 cubic feet per second (2,800 m3/s).[6] This combination results in frequentlog jams and new channels. The river is not kept clear of woody debris, making it one of the few North American rivers of its size in which large log jams are common.[9] TheUSGS operates astream gage 4.6 miles (7.4 km) above the mouth of the Queets, 2.4 miles (3.9 km) downriver from the mouth of the Clearwater River. The mean annual discharge recorded over the lifetime of this gage up to 2009, is 4,347 cubic feet per second (123.1 m3/s). The peak maximum discharge was 133,000 cubic feet per second (3,800 m3/s), recorded on December 15, 1999. The maximum daily mean discharge was 91,100 cubic feet per second (2,580 m3/s), recorded on March 19, 1997. A minimum daily mean discharge of 281 cubic feet per second (8.0 m3/s) was recorded from September 25–28, 2005.[6]
There is a primitiveNational Park Service campground and ranger station (no longer staffed) at the end of the Queets River Road. The Queets River Trail begins on the north bank of the river, across from the campground, and follows the river about 16 miles (26 km) upstream. Access to the trailhead requires fording the Queets River, which can be treacherous.There are primitive campsites along the trail at the Lower Crossing Way Trail junction and Spruce Bottom.
The river is runnable by kayak or canoe from the campground to theHighway 101 bridge (roughly 19 miles (31 km)), but is replete with hazards, mainly in the form oflog jams.
