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Applegate
River
River
in
Oregon,
United
States
of
America
The Applegate
River is
a 51-mile
(82 km)-long tributary of
the Rogue
River in
the U.S.
state of Oregon.
It drains approximately 698
square
miles
(1,810 km2).
Rising
in
northern California,
it
soon
crosses
the
border
and
flows
northeast
then
northwest
to
meet
the
Rogue
about 6
miles
(9.7 km) west
of Grants
Pass.
It
drains
forested
foothills
of
the Siskiyou
Mountains along
the
Oregon–California
border.
Quick
Facts Etymology,
Location
...
Course
The
Applegate
River's headwaters are
located
in
the Siskiyou
Mountains in
California,
part
of
the Rogue
River–Siskiyou
National
Forest.
The
water
collects
from snowmelt and springs.
The
Siskiyou
area
receives
from 17
to
40
inches
(430
to
1,020 mm) of precipitation annually. The
river
then
flows
north
through
a
steep canyon past
the
Oregon-California
border,
receiving
water
from
Elliot
Creek. Elliot
Creek
begins
near Dutchman
Peak in
Oregon,
before
flowing
southwest
into
California,
roughly
paralleling
the
border.
It
joins
the
Applegate
just
before
it
enters
Oregon. This
area
saw
major
floods
in 1964 and
1974,
before
the
Applegate
Dam
was
constructed.
The
river
is impounded by
Applegate
Dam
several
miles
into
Oregon,
forming
the 988-acre
(4.00 km2) Applegate
Lake. The United
States
Army
Corps
of
Engineers began
construction
of
the
dam
in
1974,
and
it
was
completed
in
1980. The
lake
nearly
extends
to
California.
The
purpose
of
the
lake
is
to
provide irrigation and flood
control for
the Applegate
Valley. The
community
of Copper was
inundated
by
the
rising
waters
of
the
lake,
and
is
now
over 100
feet
(30 m) below
lake
level.
From
Applegate
Dam,
the
river
flows
north
and
slightly
east.
About 8
miles
(13 km) from
California,
it
flows
under
the
McKee
Bridge. The covered
bridge was
built
in
1917
for miners and loggers.
It
was
closed
in
1956,
deemed
unsafe
for motor
vehicles.
Restored
in
1965
and
1985,
the
bridge
is
now
open
for pedestrians.
Several
miles
past
McKee
Bridge
is
the
confluence
with
the Little
Applegate
River. Near Ruch,
the
Applegate
turns
and
flows
northwest
through
the unincorporated
communities of Applegate and Provolt.
Near
Provolt
it
passes
from Jackson
County to Josephine
County.
Tributaries
in
this
area
include
Thompson
Creek
and
Williams
Creek,
and
both
flow
north. Williams
Creek
was
named
after
Captain
Robert
Williams,
who
fought
the Rogue
River
Indians along
the
creek
during
the Rogue
River
Wars. It
flows
through Williams,
also
named
for
the
captain.
From
Williams
Creek
the
Applegate
turns
west
and
flows
through Murphy.
It
then
turns
north
through Wilderville.
The
river
empties
into
the Rogue
River 6
miles
(9.7 km) west
of Grants
Pass,
just
above
the
start
of
the Wild
and
Scenic section
of
the
Rogue. It
discharges
an
average
of 720
cubic
feet
per
second
(20 m3/s),
however
as
high
as 47,500
cubic
feet
per
second
(1,350 m3/s) was
recorded
in
1953,
and
as
low
as 0.78
cubic
feet
per
second
(0.022 m3/s) was
recorded
in
1979,
when
Applegate
Lake
was
being
filled.
Watershed
The
Applegate
River drains approximately 698
square
miles
(1,810 km2). Approximately
35 percent
of
the
watershed
is
owned
by
the United
States
Forest
Service (as
part
of
the Rogue
River–Siskiyou
National
Forest),
and
another
35 percent
by
the Bureau
of
Land
Management.
Private property covers
20 percent,
while
the
remaining
10 percent
is
commercial
forests.
About
12,000
people
live
in
the
river's
watershed
in
multiple towns and farms,
although
none
of
the
towns
are incorporated.
Flora
and
fauna
The
most
common
trees
within
the
Applegate
River's
watershed
include Douglas
fir and madrone. Oregon
white
oak and big-leaf
maple grow
in
the loam soil
found
on
the
higher
slopes. Shrubs such
as vine
maple and manzanita grow
beneath
the
trees.
Animals
that
live
along
the
Applegate
River
include
the endangered Siskiyou
Mountains
salamander,
and
the near
threatened spotted
owl.
See
also
List
of
rivers
of
Oregon
List
of
longest
streams
of
Oregon
Northern
California
Southern
Oregon
References
External
links
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