Wenatchee River

Wenatchee River west of Leavenworth

The Wenatchee River is a river in Washington state and originates from the Lake Wenatchee and flowing southeast near Wenatchees in Wenatchee Confluence State Park in the Columbia River. On the way it flows past the towns of Plain, Leavenworth, Peshastin, Dryden, Cashmere, Monitor and Wenatchee.

Its tributaries are the Chiwawa River, Nason Creek, Peshastin Creek and Icicle Creek. Its catchment area covers 3450 km ².

History

The river marked off until the reorganization in 1899, the Okanogan County of Kittitas County and was the center of Chelan County.

The waters of the Wenatchee River and its tributaries has been used since 1891 mainly for irrigation of orchards. Along the river there are two small dams: The west of Leavenworth location, Tumwater Canyon Dam and Dryden Dam, which is located near the town of Dryden. The Tumwater Canyon Dam originally produced electricity for nearly three -kilometer-long railway tunnel available to bring the trains near the Stevens Pass through the Cascade Range. Beginning in 1928, the power was used to operate the railway Wenatchee to Skykomish.

Water pollution

In the last three trials of the Washington State Department of Ecology was established that still are toxic chemicals that were banned decades ago in the environment concentrate in the animals, and these local residents threaten people. In 2007, the Washington Department of Health has advised people to fish downstream of Leavenworth, due to the elevated PCB levels, not to eat.

See also

  • List of rivers in Washington
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