Clearwater River (Idaho)
The Clearwater River is in the northwestern United States, in north central Idaho. Its length is 74.8 miles (120.4 km), it flows westward from the Bitterroot Mountains along the Idaho-Montana border, and joins the Snake River at Lewiston. In October 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition descended the Clearwater River in dugout canoes, putting in at "Canoe Camp," five miles (8 km) downstream from Orofino; they reached the Columbia Bar and the Pacific Ocean about six weeks later.
| Clearwater River | |
|---|---|
Clearwater River near Greer Ferry | |
Map showing the Clearwater River watershed | |
| Native name | Kooskooskia (Nez Perce) |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Idaho |
| Region | Idaho County, Clearwater County, Shoshone County, Nez Perce County |
| Cities | Orofino, Lewiston |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Middle Fork Clearwater River |
| • location | Confluence of Selway River and Lochsa River, Idaho County |
| • coordinates | 46°08′28″N 115°35′53″W |
| • elevation | 1,453 ft (443 m) |
| 2nd source | South Fork Clearwater River |
| • location | Near Red River Hot Springs, Idaho County |
| • coordinates | 45°52′09″N 115°18′32″W |
| • elevation | 4,285 ft (1,306 m) |
| Source confluence | Kooskia |
| • location | Idaho County |
| • coordinates | 46°08′45″N 115°58′56″W |
| • elevation | 1,220 ft (370 m) |
| Mouth | Snake River |
• location | Lewiston, Nez Perce County |
• coordinates | 46°25′30″N 117°02′14″W |
• elevation | 741 ft (226 m) |
| Length | 74.8 mi (120.4 km), Southeast-northwest |
| Basin size | 9,645 sq mi (24,980 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 15,300 cu ft/s (430 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 109,000 cu ft/s (3,100 m3/s) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Snake River |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | South Fork Clearwater River |
| • right | Middle Fork Clearwater River, North Fork Clearwater River, Potlatch River |
By average discharge, the Clearwater River is the largest tributary of the Snake River. The River got its name for the Niimiipuutímt naming as Koos-Koos-Kia - "clear water".
The drainage basin of the Clearwater River is 9,645 square miles (24,980 km2). Its mean annual discharge is 15,300 cubic feet per second (430 m3/s)