The Chehalis Gap is a gap in the Coast Range of Washington state between the southernmost foothills of the Olympic Mountains called the Satsop Hills , and the Willapa Hills .
26-436: The gap is a major geographic feature of the northwestern United States. Other geographic features in the gap include Chehalis River , Grays Harbor , and Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge in its estuary. U.S. Route 12 runs through the gap from Elma near Capitol State Forest to Aberdeen on Grays Harbor near the coast, paralleled by the former U.S. Route 410 and Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad . The broad valley in
52-584: A combination of plans along the Chehalis River to mitigate flooding and to restore aquatic habitat, particularly for local Chinook salmon . The initial proposal outlined several flood control reduction measures, with downstream levee improvements particularly at the Chehalis–Centralia Airport , and a flood retention dam in Pe Ell which is planned to limit catastrophic damage from 100-year floods within
78-798: A cultural and economic staple for the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation and the Quinault Indian Nation. It begins at the confluence of the West Fork Chehalis River and East Fork Chehalis River, in southwestern Lewis County . From there the Chehalis flows north and east, collecting tributary streams that drain the Willapa Hills and other low mountains of southwestern Washington. The South Fork Chehalis River joins
104-624: Is a river in Washington in the United States. It originates in several forks in southwestern Washington, flows east, then north, then west, in a large curve, before emptying into Grays Harbor , an estuary of the Pacific Ocean. The river is the largest solely contained drainage basin in the state. The river was once much larger during the Ice Age when the tongue of the glacial ice sheet covering
130-578: Is known as the Puget Lobe which, when it began to melt, formed Glacial Lake Russell . The lake drained through the Chehalis River Valley and the slow deposits of glacial sediment raised the depressed valley. The Quinault Indian Nation and the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation are stakeholders of the river. Though the people ceded the lands surrounding the Chehalis River upon
156-645: The Black , Chehalis , Cowlitz , Elk , Johns , Newaukum , Satsop , Shookumchuck , and Wynoochee Rivers , and included lands from the Southwest coast to the lower Puget Sound of Washington. The Chehalis Reservation ranges 4,438 acres (17.96 km ), and is home to more than 600 American Indians . The reservation was first established in 1860 for the Lower and Upper Chehalis people . Originally 4,224.63 acres (17.10 km ) larger, 3,753.63 acres (15.19 km ) of land
182-640: The Dungeness River , is part of only two river basins in Washington state that are granted protections and rights under "in-stream flow regulation". Passed in 1976, the law allows the river the right to maintain its own water levels. Unfettered access to the river is granted to grandfathered "senior" rights holders as they existed before the 1976 rule went into effect; the senior holders mostly consist of tribal communities and farmers. As of 2023 , there are 93 recorded junior water rights holders, mostly homeowners, in
208-668: The Hoquiam River joins. At this point the river has become Grays Harbor. Before the estuary of Grays Harbor empties into the Pacific Ocean, the Humptulips River joins. Flood control and concerns for the Chehalis River and its watershed is managed by the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority, which is overseen and funded by the Washington Department of Ecology Office of Chehalis Basin (OCB). In 2010,
234-464: The Puget Sound terminated near Olympia and glacial runoff formed a large torrent of meltwater. This carved a large oversized valley that is much larger than the current river could have produced. The river's mouth was out near current Westport until rising sea levels at the end of the ice age flooded the broad Chehalis Valley to form a ria , known today as Grays Harbor. The glacial sheet tongue
260-610: The Satsop River and Wynoochee River , which drain the southern part of the Olympic Mountains . The Wynoochee River joins the Chehalis near Montesano , after which the Chehalis River becomes increasingly affected by tides and widens into Grays Harbor estuary. The city of Aberdeen lies at the mouth of the Chehalis River. Just east of Aberdeen, the Wishkah River joins the Chehalis, and just west, between Aberdeen and Hoquiam ,
286-539: The 2023 National Hydrologic Warning Council (NHWC) Operational Excellence Award Counties within the Chehalis River basin, various other regional governments, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), in association with Native American tribes, environmental groups, scientists, and local citizens, organized a partnership in 2014 named the Chehalis Basin Strategy to propose and research
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#1732844425988312-478: The Chehalis River Basin. The river is home to several salmon species, including chum , coho and Fall Chinook , and the basin is also a habitat for Steelhead trout . In 2018, the Chehalis was the only river basin in the state in which any classification of salmon was not listed as an endangered species, despite decreasing numbers of the fish. A petition was filed by conservation groups in 2023 to list
338-466: The Chehalis basin. The Chehalis River is the largest drainage basin completely within the state. The basin covers approximately 2,700 square miles (7,000 km ) in Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, and Thurston counties. The waterway is an economic necessity, and a source for food, water, and recreation for several large cities, such as Aberdeen, Centralia, Chehalis, and Hoquiam. The river continues to be
364-823: The Chinook salmon as endangered under the Endangered Species Act . Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation is a federally recognized tribe located in Southwest Washington . They are a part of the Northern Straits branch Central Coast Salish peoples of Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast . The Confederated Tribes' traditional territories were along
390-635: The Puget Sound region mean that water from weather systems from the Pacific, particularly winter storms, falls preferentially in southwestern facing, elevated areas exposed to moist Pacific air, especially where the gap causes an "anti" rain shadow . Seattle, and Everett and Bremerton all have municipal reservoirs in the hills surrounding each city, sometimes tens of miles (kilometers) away. Chehalis River (Washington) The Chehalis River ( / ʃ ə ˈ h eɪ l ɪ s / shə- HAY -liss )
416-508: The air which otherwise can stagnate and trap air pollution from industry and vehicles in the Seattle metropolitan area. There are indications that a low level jet may be associated with the Chehalis Gap. Municipal water supply in the Puget Sound metropolitan area is dependent on the rainfall which is in part attributed to the presence of the Chehalis Gap. The unique climate and topography of
442-608: The build of the Panama Canal and during the Great Depression , with scaled-down plans lasting into the 1970s. During the Great Coastal Gale of 2007 , a 20-mile (32 km) stretch of Interstate 5 was closed between exits 68 and 88 because of flooding from the Chehalis River, causing the roadway to be under about 10 feet (3.0 m) of water. The recommended detour added about four hours and 280 miles (450 km). It
468-961: The current Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis. Past chairmen include: English has become the common spoken language of the Tribe. Traditional languages include the Upper Chehalis and Lower Chehalis languages , which are derived from the Quinault languages of the Tsamosan branch of the Salish language family . The last native speaker of the Upper Chehalis language died in 2001. The Chehalis Tribe owns and operates Lucky Eagle Casino , Eagle’s Landing Hotel, Grand Buffet, Scatter Creek Grill, Prime Rib and Steakhouse, Sidewalk Deli in Rochester, Washington ,
494-483: The flood authority implemented the installation of an online flood warning system available to residents in the Chehalis basin. Known as the Chehalis Basin Flood Warning System, it expanded a sensor network already in place, providing information on rainfall and temperature, as well as additional gauges. Alert warnings are sent via email and provide information on 13 rivers in the area. The system won
520-546: The gap is considered outsized for the river it now carries, the Chehalis River, theorized to be due to its enlargement during the Pleistocene ice age when it carried meltwater from mile-high glaciers in what is now Puget Sound. The gap is responsible for climate and meteorological effects in Puget Sound region , including the Puget Sound Convergence Zone , marine push, diurnal wind circulation ( sea breeze ), and
546-634: The main river a few miles west of the city of Chehalis . The Newaukum River joins the Chehalis River at Chehalis, after which the river turns north, flowing by the city of Centralia , where the Skookumchuck River joins. After Centralia, the Chehalis River flows north and west, collecting tributaries such as the Black River , which drains the Black Hills to the north, then in the Chehalis Gap collects
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#1732844425988572-482: The relatively high precipitation compared to areas in the Olympic Mountains' rain shadow . Without the gap, the climate would be more like that of semiarid Eastern Washington . The cities closest to the gap, like Olympia , get considerably more rain than those farther away, like Seattle . Air quality in the Puget Sound region is also affected by availability of fresh Pacific air from the Chehalis Gap to recharge
598-467: The signing of the 1856 Treaty of Olympia, the tribes have retained fishing and hatchery rights. Plans were raised during the presidency of Franklin Pierce to use the river as part of a canal stretching from Olympia to Grays Harbor. The idea was reintroduced multiple times during the 19th century but no official acts, nor construction of the waterway, materialized. Versions of the canal project persisted after
624-419: Was closed in and around the cities of Centralia and Chehalis because of flooding from the Chehalis River, causing the roadway to be under several feet of water. Since the main east–west mountain passes were also closed during this event, the flooding from the Chehalis River essentially cut off interstate traffic to the Puget Sound area from the south, and no detour was available. The Chehalis River, along with
650-645: Was distributed to non-native settlers in 1866 via Executive Order. An additional 471 acres (1.91 km ) was given to schools. By 1906, fewer than 150 Chehalis people remained on the reservation and a 1984 survey found the population to be 382. The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation's headquarters is in Oakville, Washington . The Tribe is governed by a democratically elected five-member General Council. The existing constitution and bylaws were ratified on July 15, 1939. As of November 2022, Dustin Klatush serves as
676-491: Was not expected to reopen for several days. However, upon breaching a dike on Dec. 5, 2007, the water receded more quickly than anticipated. Amtrak train service between Portland, Oregon , and Vancouver, British Columbia , was also disrupted. Washington governor Christine Gregoire declared a state of emergency on December 3. During the January 7, 2009, Pacific Northwest storms, a 20-mile (32 km) stretch of Interstate 5
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