| Lostine River | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location of the mouth of Lostine River in Oregon | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Wallowa |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Minam Lake |
| • location | Eagle Cap Wilderness,Wallowa Mountains,Wallowa–Whitman National Forest |
| • coordinates | 45°11′08″N117°21′05″W / 45.18556°N 117.35139°W /45.18556; -117.35139[1] |
| • elevation | 7,383 ft (2,250 m)[2] |
| Mouth | Wallowa River |
• location | Lostine |
• coordinates | 45°33′07″N117°29′26″W / 45.55194°N 117.49056°W /45.55194; -117.49056[1] |
• elevation | 3,008 ft (917 m)[1] |
| Length | 31.4 mi (50.5 km) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | 10 miles (16 km) from the mouth[3] |
| • average | 193 cu ft/s (5.5 m3/s)[3] |
| • minimum | 10 cu ft/s (0.28 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 2,550 cu ft/s (72 m3/s) |
| Type | Wild, Recreational |
| Designated | October 28, 1988 |
TheLostine River is a 31.4-mile-long (50.5 km)[4] tributary of theWallowa River in northeasternOregon in the United States. It drains a portion of theEagle Cap Wilderness of theWallowa Mountains in theWallowa–Whitman National Forest and joins the Wallowa River atWallowa.
In 1988, the upper 16 miles (26 km) of the Lostine River were listed asWild and Scenic. A 5-mile (8 km) segment in the wilderness below the river's source atMinam Lake were classified "wild". The next 11 miles (18 km) were designated "recreational".[5]
Themain stem rises atMinam Lake at an elevation of nearly 7,400 feet (2,300 m) above sea level,[1] about 15 miles (24 km) south of the city ofLostine and 10 miles (16 km) west-southwest ofJoseph. The river flows generally north following aglaciated U-shaped canyon.[5] It exits the national forest at an elevation of 3,930 feet (1,200 m) and gradually changes character as it reaches more level terrain which slopes gradually down to 3,000 feet (910 m), where it meets the Wallowa River. The river's flow varies seasonally from about 50 to 1,000 cubic feet per second (1.4 to 28.3 m3/s).
Irrigation diversions, which play a significant role in the river, contributed to the extinction of the local run ofCoho salmon in the 1960s and reduced the population of the run of springChinook salmon to a low of 13 fish in 1999.[6] Both runs had been an historic source of food for theNez Perce people. The Nez Perce began restoration efforts in the 1990s, and by 2005, the Chinooksalmon run had risen to 800 fish.[6] An agreement that year among farmers, the Nez Perce, and theOregon Water Trust led to efforts to preserve the stream flow during summer, helping the salmon to survive.[6] By 2009, the run had increased to more than 2,000 Chinook salmon.[7]
