White River (Washington)
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The White River is a river in Washington state in the United States which flows from its source, the Emmons Glacier on Mount Rainier, about 75 miles (121 km) to join the Puyallup River at Sumner. It defines part of the boundary between King and Pierce counties.
Before 1906, the White River joined the Green River near Auburn, and the combined river (under the name "White") joined the Black River at Tukwila, forming the Duwamish River, which emptied into Elliott Bay at Seattle. In 1906, a great flood diverted the White River southward into the Stuck River thence into the Puyallup River, which empties into Commencement Bay at Tacoma. The White River remains a tributary of the Puyallup River today. The Green River no longer receives either the White River or the Black River. Its retains the name "Green" up to the site of the former Black River confluence, where it becomes the Duwamish.
In 1911, Tacoma Power diverted part of the flow of the White River into a reservoir called Lake Tapps, around which a small community has developed. The reservoir's water is returned to the White River about 20 miles downstream for hydroelectricity production.
Several miles upriver from the Lake Tapps diversion dam the White River is impounded by Mud Mountain Dam, for flood control purposes.
The White River valley was the scene of violent clashes between Native Americans and the Washington Territory militias during the Puget Sound War of 1855-1856.
[edit] External links
- White River Watershed
- White River Journal: Flooding, Dams, and Renamed Rivers
- USGS Real-Time Water Data for White River Near Auburn
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